Debate continues to rage about cars without a front license plate

I find it interesting that with all the things going on in the world right now, so many people are focused on missing front license plates.

I understand it is the law to have one, but really in comparison to many other issues we have with the roads and terrible drivers that we have to put up with, I would think it would be somewhere at the bottom of the list of complaints. Is your mailbox getting so few emails that all you have to report about are front plates?

— Chuck Serafini,

Hollister

Perish the thought.

The mere mention of Tesla and no front plates sets off a flood of angry e-mails and calls, so here we go again.

Tesla owners have been getting the brunt of complaints about missing front license plates, but it certainly isn’t just them.

Many sporty cars, from Toyotas, Mazdas, Mustangs, Porches, Mercedes, Lexus, etc, have the front license plate missing. Most luxury cars, sporty or not, don’t have them.

It seems that car enthusiasts who own their cars for style are more prone to leaving them off than family car owners who own their cars for functionality.

Ignorance is not the cause. It’s a deliberate decision made to not spoil the look of their fancy cars.

And they continue to get away with it with little repercussion.

— Rick Douglas,

San Jose

That is true. This is a fix-it ticket and the cost can be just a few bucks.

Recently, I noted something odd about the front license plate on a Tesla.

The front plate conformed to the shape of the nose of the car.

At first I thought it had been painted on the car. Upon closer inspection, it was actually a decal that looked absolutely identical to a standard metal plate (except for it not being completely flat).

Is that a legal front plate?

Yes, it is.

How does a policeman decide to give or not give a ticket for no front license plate? Reminds me of umpires. It depends on who the umpire is whether it’s a ball or a strike.

— Angela Pappanastos, San Jose

There are good umps, and bad umps. It depends on what else a cop is dealing with.

My husband, Bob, is probably one of the few people that feel that the front license plate enhances the look of the car. It makes the front appear less austere.

Your hubby is in the minority on that.

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