Senator Newman: I was astounded to see that the state has eliminated the opportunity to receive paper check tax refunds per the attached and saved $200,000 when eliminating the front license plate would save $2.3 million.
I therefore urge you to vote for Senate Bill providing for display of a single license plate on registered vehicles (S.B. 771 / 2013 in the Committee on Transportation). There are several excellent reasons for supporting this legislation.
First, eliminating the need for a front license plate will reduce the state costs associated with production, storage, and shipping by $2.3 million every year, according to the Department of Planning and Budget 2012 Fiscal Impact Statement. That money can be used to help balance the state budget or be earmarked for road maintenance.
Second, a front license plate is impractical on many vehicles. Modern cars are no longer designed with front plates in mind. Installing the mounting brackets that are necessary to hold the plate can interfere with the car's aerodynamics and engine cooling. They can also cause devaluation of some vehicles when drilling or otherwise modifying the front bumper is required.
Third, unnecessary damage can be sustained in minor bumper-to-bumper collisions, because the front mounting brackets on passenger cars can cause cracks and abrasions to the rear bumpers of the cars that they hit, as well as rendering the license plate unreadable.
Finally, police officers will be more productive in stopping dangerous motor vehicle violations such as drunk driving or reckless driving, since their time will not be compromised by stopping a Virginia motorist who simply did not have a front license plate on display.
Some law enforcement officials are opposed to abolishing the front license plate requirement, as they believe that losing the extra plate will make it more difficult for them to do their jobs in the best possible manner. However, in the 19 states that have abolished the front license plate requirement, there is no evidence of a decline in public safety as a result of the plate removal
.
We the voters and general public of Virginia are appreciative of the law enforcement officers and law making officials of this great state and will continue to support them in their endeavor to make this state a safe place to live. We hope you will vote to give one plate a try in these tough economic times.
I urge you to vote to remove the two plate requirement.
Sincerely,
Larry Hanson
Ph. 757-890-9434
102 Heron Ct Yorktown
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