by Florida may become the 30th state in the USA to require cars to use a front license plate following the adoption of Bill SB 92. The bill, recently backed by the Committee for Agricultural, Environmental and General State Expenditures, proposes that the front license plate will help reduce the number of hit-and-run incidents where vehicles cannot be identified.
The bill could lead to the formation of the ‘Lillie Glaubach Law’, named after a 13-year-old girl from Tampa who was fatally struck by a car while riding her bicycle. Under this law, auto services must request a written accident report from clients before undertaking any repair work on a vehicle involved in any type of collision if the repair cost is at least 5,000 dollars.
Importantly, one’s information, vehicle data, and a description of damages will be required. Local authorities believe this could help identify potential hit-and-run drivers. Also, the requirement to use a front license plate might assist investigators.
During a Senate committee meeting last week, an amendment was made to the bill that provides for the use of both front and rear license plates.
‘The reason why other states have dual license plates is because people flee from accident scenes, there are many cameras,’ said Senator Joe Gruters. ‘And those cameras can’t always see the rear plate.’ Senator Erin Grall of Vero Beach added that ‘witnesses often see the front of the car but don’t see the back of the car, and sometimes there are repeat offenders who know exactly how to flee from an accident without leaving their plates visible.’
During the Senate committee meeting, Gruters emphasized that local residents would pay a single registration fee for a vehicle, and the state should provide two license plates.
In the USA, there are currently 29 states where a front license plate is required for cars, including California, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Vermont, and Washington.
