https://www.the-sun.com/motors/12008268/motorcycle-fined-new-jersey-license-plate/
A MOTORCYCLIST has fought back after receiving a $100 fine for a signature modification. Despite the driver’s year-long attempt to nix the fine, courts maintained that the road law is clear. …
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Motorcyclist fined $139 for how he displayed his license plate – ‘he thought it was cool’ but court said it... Ben Shimkus 4–5 minutes
A MOTORCYCLIST has fought back after receiving a $100 fine for a signature modification.
Despite the driver's year-long attempt to nix the fine, courts maintained that the road law is clear.
Police pulled over a motorcycle rider after he made a 'cool' modification (stock image)
2 Police pulled over a motorcycle rider after he made a 'cool' modification (stock image)Credit: Getty
The motorcycle driver argued that the law wasn't clear enough (stock image)
2 The motorcycle driver argued that the law wasn't clear enough (stock image)Credit: Getty
New Jersey police stopped the motorcycle rider in 2019 after they caught him traveling with an upside-down license plate, according to NJ.com's reporting in 2020.
At the time, the rider flipped the license plate around because "he thought it was cool," according to the publication.
But police argued the modification made the license plate more challenging to read.
They assigned an $106 fine for the infraction. Read More on Driver Fines
The driver brought the fine to court, arguing state law didn't specifically outlaw his license plate change.
New Jersey's road laws require drivers to display plates that are "clear and distinct and free from grease, dust or other blurring matter, so as to be plainly visible at all times of the day or night."
The driver brought his ticket to municipal court, arguing the statute didn't specifically outlaw his modification.
But the judge upheld the fine and assigned a $33 court fee.
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"The [state legislature] did not intend for drivers to mount their license plates upside down because it would impact law enforcement’s ability to protect the public on New Jersey roads and highways," the judge wrote.
The rider appealed the decision, arguing the road laws remained "unconstitutionally vague."
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The appeals court maintained the fine, saying the flipped-over plate "causes the reader to view characters in reverse order."
The appellate court's ruling angered the driver and he expressed this in a statement to the publication in 2020.
"I guess I’ve just been kind of annoyed that the courts have just been making up the law as they go," he said. MORE DRIVING ILLEGAL MODS
Lawmakers in two states passed rules to fight back against increasing road noise.
Michigan and Connecticut lawmakers passed regulations against engine modifications that make vehicles louder.
In Michigan, laws limit an exhaust system's decibel level and threaten to levy fines of up to $1,500 if a car is too loud.
Lawmakers said the fines will be assigned to drivers who change their motor and exhaust systems.
Noisy cars, explained
Here are some of the modifications that regulators are looking to fight against:
Engine and exhaust modifications are extremely popular for car enthusiasts.
Dozens of after-market systems can increase a car's performance and make the vehicle louder.
For example, some drivers can implement performance air intakes and turbo chargers to increase the engine output.
Other drivers may change the muffler, catalytic converter, or exhaust pipes to increase air flow.
Both changes can increase the decibels in an engine's notes.
Drivers can also make major changes, like removing sound deadening parts around the engine.
But, studies show that increased road noise has a cumulative health impact on residents.
A recent Harvard Medicine study found that residents living near loud roadways have increased risk of heart and lung disease, anxiety, and type two diabetes.
Participants near loud roadways also reported increased sleeping and mental health problems compared to their quiet neighborhood peers.
Previously, the state was not allowed to assign fines on city-run streets.
Connecticut's law allows cities to implement noise-monitoring cameras.
Before the law, cities needed regulatory approval from the state before using the tech. Read More on The US Sun
Drivers can be fined up to $250.
A recent Harvard Medicine study found that residents who live close to roadways with loud vehicles face serious health threats.
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That said, even with uBlock Origin, the horrific signal-to-noise ratio from the infamous UK tabloid's American website is not something I would ever want. Even setting aside the phone hacking scandal years ago, their deeply flawed headlines, ownership by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, and all the other issues (Reddit link), other publications of higher repute exist.