In a nation of driving distractions, you can add this potential one: electronic ads on California license plates. The plan is part of a bill recently passed by California’s state Senate and now before the Legislature.
SB 1453, written by Democratic state Senator Curren Price of Los Angeles, would authorize the Department of Motor Vehicles
“to partner with innovation companies for the purpose of researching,
developing and implementing new technology at no additional costs to the
DMV or state.”
On his Web site, Price says putting advertising on digital license
plates would generate revenue as well as “create new jobs in technology,
sales/marketing and service fields.”
The plan would be to only show the ads when a vehicle has been
stationary for more than 4 consecutive seconds, according to news
reports.
Price notes that this new technology could also display “critical
real-time traffic and public safety information such as Amber alerts and
emergency traffic updates.”
Potentially, this technology could also be used for personalized
messages. Who knows? If this becomes law, you may one day see such
messages as “Honk if you like RVing!” “Follow me to the KOA” or “Will
you marry me, Emily?”
