New License Plate Design Has Toll Cameras Malfunctioning Across This State
Pennsylvania's attempt to celebrate America's 250th birthday has led to frustration across the state's highways. The state's new license plate design, which sports "Let freedom ring" written across the bottom and the Liberty Bell in the background, has led to an issue involving the styling of the numbers and letters. More specifically, it has to do with a diagonal slash through the center of the number zero.
Plate-reading systems throughout Pennsylvania are confusing the zeroes for eights, causing tickets to be sent to the wrong drivers. Speaking to 6 ABC, Crispin Havener, communications specialist for the Turnpike Commission, stated that "There are some confusions between the number zero and the number eight. This is an issue not only impacting us in the tolling industry, but agencies that use license plate recognition software in other ways." While this issue is being sorted out, drivers in Pennsylvania are being urged to double-check toll statements they receive in the mail and contact the Turnpike Commission if a bill doesn't match their travel history or license plate number.
What will Pennsylvania do about the problematic plates?
Despite the issues, Pennsylvania is sticking with the new license plate. The design, developed with help from the Pennsylvania State Police and Pennsylvania Turnpike, meets the state Department of Transportation's legibility requirements. In fact, the diagonal slash through the zero was meant to make the plates more legible, as recommended by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, since humans and machines sometimes confuse the regular zero with the letter "O."
Instead of removing the license plate, the state is looking to update its license plate reading software, helping it to recognize the new style zero. The readers will eventually adapt. "It just takes continuous exposure to the plate — so like any technology, it takes time to learn," Marissa Orbanek, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, said to CBS News. So while it won't be instant, the state believes the issue will be resolved.
License plate reading itself has become a hot topic as well, albeit for different reasons. Privacy issues related to AI-powered automated license plate readers (ALPRs) have motivated some states to try to restrict the use of ALPR data, even as other states like California have doubled down on them.