There are those who would be willing to climb entire mountains to circumvent the system. It happens to come across absurd videos online, with unlikely solutions to mock the law, such as covering the license plate with a fake magnetic leaf. Well yes, the imagination of the “crafty” knows no limits. As often happens, the idea, illustrated in a video, made the rounds on social media. From Twitter to Facebook, everyone has talked about it and even those who usually pay attention to “contributions” of this kind have started to ask themselves some questions. In its simplicity, the system is described as a stroke of genius by Internet users. In this case, the objective is to prevent speed camerastutors and so on to read the license plate.
Popularity at historic lows
Negative opinions towards speed cameras, recently the subject of reform, contributed to making the video viral. In Italy the approval rating for speed detectors is at an all-time low, culminating in Fleximan affair. That, after having raged for months along the streets of the province of Rovigo, he seems to have been caught red-handed by some cameras. While the alleged culprit reveals the truth about his “attacks”, conflicting opinions on the matter rage on the web. Between those who consider him a hero and others ready to define him as a troublemaker, the police will have the task of establishing whether or not he is really responsible for the offending actions.
In any case, there are plenty of negative comments about speed cameras online and try the trick shown to ride the wave of widespread frustration. Previously, similar initiatives aimed at the same purpose had already emerged, but it is rare to come across such an elementary and, at the same time, functional idea. The mechanism relies on a electromagnet activated by a remote control to allow the leaf to cover part of the plate. Unlike the usual tricks, it can fall at any time: just press the remote control.
A beautiful and good illusion
Now, however, let’s get to the sore points. Despite the initial enthusiasm, it is a complete illusion, given the series of critical issues identified by users. First, the leaf may cover just a couple of digits or letters. Ergo, once an infringement of the Highway Code has been detected by an automated system, the authorities would still have the possibility to launch an investigation. This is because we have numerous elements available, including the make, model and color of the car. The mix of factors gives the officers the opportunity to unequivocally trace the identity of the offender.
Second point: the action constitutes a crime. In our peninsula the act of concealment of the license plate it is prohibited by the regulator, and a fairly recent ruling from the Court of Cassation (n. 9013/2018) reiterated it. It is sufficient to hide a part, for example with a sticker or a leaf, and the criminal offense is triggered, pursuant to art. 490 of the Criminal Code and then it will be up to the judge to quantify the penalty. Although such cases are often dismissed, given the modest seriousness of the charge, the criminal record will cease to be clean.
