Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ontario's new license plates have a problem: you can't read them

npr.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

81–90 of 172 posts

Re: Ontario's new license plates have a problem: you can't read them

#81

Post by 52-6F-62 »

dangus wrote: post #67

Things I can’t understand: - Why North America doesn’t adopt European-style plates instead of the tiny, squished ones they have - Why license plates are allowed to act as regional advertisements for local states and provinces rather than identifiers - Why Canadians keep the Ford family in power

> Why Canadians keep the Ford family in power

And the city of Toronto collectively facepalmed.

Honestly it was less about Ford. Some people were frothing at the mouth over Wynne for some reason.

And the rural parts of the province usually just keep the same MPP in office. Where I grew up I think the MPP has been rep for almost if not 30 years. "Good ol' Tobe" rides his tractor every year in the Canada Day parade though he hasn't farmed in even longer.

What I find worse is how these local MPP's have bought 100% into "FORD NATION". This particular MPP got himself in some trouble when he astonishingly used the anniversary of D-Day to make some kind of political point about putting beer in corner stores.

Re: Ontario's new license plates have a problem: you can't read them

#82

Post by notwhereyouare »

stanski wrote: post #16

Had the good fortune today to drive behind two cars, side by side, one sporting the old license plate and the other the old one. I could only read the old, white background plate but not the new blue one. And that was in broad daylight. Anyone claiming that the blue plates are perfectly readable has either never seen them in action or is downright lying. Incredible that vehicle plates are a political issue but there…

Georgia (the state) had to re-vote on a couple of their new license plate designs because one plate had "In God We Trust" on it, and the other plate didn't. I believe the ACLU (or who ever brought up the problem) was worried that people would think that only the one plate would be available with the "In God We Trust" sticker

Re: Ontario's new license plates have a problem: you can't read them

#83

Post by 52-6F-62 »

theluketaylor wrote: post #75
allenu wrote: post #46

I’m curious just what process was in place to let this happen. Yes, I know it’s government, but I’m really curious what organizational process is in place to allow such an obvious thing to slip through.

The current conservative government has no organizational process. Dougie makes a decision and then it's implemented at breakneck speed, ignoring all precedent, organizational structure, and institutional learning. He drew the new "Ontario Line" subway with a marker, replacing decades of planning for the Relief Line Toronto needs desperately. The subway is dangerously overcrowded at peak times and these changes will…

> He invented an environmental issues with bats to halt construction on a partially complete windfarm. Even local bat experts have no idea what he's talking about.

Worse! They actively started tearing down completed windmills as part of that project to the tune of $100 million!

Re: Ontario's new license plates have a problem: you can't read them

#84

Post by z2600 »

dsfyu404ed wrote: post #60
pletsch wrote: post #3

Saw a few of these this weekend, I'm curious to see if the 407 (Ontario's toll road)cameras can read them at night. I imagine this gets changed quite quickly if they can only read the old plates.

As someone who spent a long time in proximity to government processes similar to what decided upon these plates I assure you that the government will not shoot its ability to collect revenue in the foot. I think it's very safe to assume that these plates are wonderfully legible in the spectrum that ALPRs use.

The 407 is privately owned (another Conservative government debacle) and makes very little for the provincial government except maybe HST.

Re: Ontario's new license plates have a problem: you can't read them

#85

Post by jrace »

dangus wrote: post #67

Things I can’t understand: - Why North America doesn’t adopt European-style plates instead of the tiny, squished ones they have - Why license plates are allowed to act as regional advertisements for local states and provinces rather than identifiers - Why Canadians keep the Ford family in power

> - Why Canadians keep the Ford family in power

The rest of Canada is not keeping the Fords in power.

Re: Ontario's new license plates have a problem: you can't read them

#86

Post by mikepurvis »

rezgi wrote: post #70
gruez wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There isn't some sort of generic law that says "license plates must be clearly visible"?

There probably is, but the police has better things to do than enforce traffic laws in Toronto (Ontario?) apparently. Really, the joke goes that if you want to kill someone in Ontario then do it while driving your car. It's even better if your victim is on a bike. Then you get a 500$ fine and back at the wheel. "Woops, didn't see them" is a valid defense, no matter the circumstances.

Here's a local example from Waterloo Region— Feb 2017, cyclist killed by motorist exiting the highway:

https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/cyclist-dies-after-being-hit-fr...

A year later, all charges dropped on account of an apparently burned out streetlamp. The lawyer called it "happenchance":

https://www.therecord.com/news-story/8354441-charges-dropped...

Re: Ontario's new license plates have a problem: you can't read them

#87

Post by MrStonedOne »

>In an emailed statement, Ontario's government says it "consulted with key stakeholders to test the readability, reflectivity and functionality of the new high definition plate design. Ontario's new high definition licence plates were tested using advanced plate reader technology under multiple visibility conditions, and plates were successfully read under those conditions."

>But it acknowledged that "some Ontarians are reporting concerns with readability to the naked-eye under certain light conditions," and says it is looking into the issue.

---

In the aftermath Ontario brags about how they tested it with stakeholders and super advance ai enhanced plate readers... They don't admit there is a problem, just that some people report there is a problem.

This is what happens when you put too much faith in the fact you tested.

The "older" scanners that the police have should have been tested, visibility of people with multiple color sight profiles (think: the dress) and eye sight distance (ie: other then 20/20) should have been tested.

Not to mention that I can almost guarantee there is some scientific research into visibility and colors that would have predicted this just based off of color palette alone.

Re: Ontario's new license plates have a problem: you can't read them

#89

Post by 52-6F-62 »

ttul wrote: post #79
chongli wrote: post #44

Recall that this is the same provincial government that used public money to put stickers on gas pumps in what amounts to a protest on federal carbon taxes. Taxpayer money spent on a brazenly partisan political campaign.

Doug Ford is Canada’s Trump. He is a similar embarrassment to an otherwise great region of the world.

If anyone thinks this is hyperbole, there is a CBC interview with Doug where he claims Trump "took a page out of their book" and not the other way around. There are other occasions where he has spoken about his admiration for Trump, and opted to stay at Trump's hotel while on a diplomatic visit.

Edit: Since this is drawing some ire I thought I would clarify that this is no remark on either politician in itself. They are Doug Ford's words.

The interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BROa5f9Dnrw

And more recently: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-doug-ford-cri...

Re: Ontario's new license plates have a problem: you can't read them

#90

Post by ghettoCoder »

ttul wrote: post #79
chongli wrote: post #44

Recall that this is the same provincial government that used public money to put stickers on gas pumps in what amounts to a protest on federal carbon taxes. Taxpayer money spent on a brazenly partisan political campaign.

Doug Ford is Canada’s Trump. He is a similar embarrassment to an otherwise great region of the world.

This site is not the vehicle for slinging political commentary and trying to be edgy, even if I might agree with it. Perhaps you would feel more at home on Reddit.
Post reply on HN