On December 2nd, on the bi-directional single-lane Dongjie Yongdingmen Street in Beijing, among the more than 20 parked cars, six or seven did not have license plates, and some had their plates obscured. Mr. Wei, who lives nearby, reported that recently he has been seeing an increasing number of unlicensed vehicles on the road, with a growing trend of unlicensed cars parked by the roadside and vehicles with obscured plates. According to the reporter's observation, some of the vehicles without plates were not newly purchased, while others clearly showed signs of having been dismantled. What could be the reason for this?
It turns out that many car owners remove their license plates to avoid restricted driving days or high parking fees. During the interview, the reporter happened to encounter a female private car owner who quickly swapped out another set of license plates from her trunk after parking by the roadside. The swap time for the two sets of plates did not exceed five minutes. When the reporter asked her how she managed to do it, the female car owner said that installing a license plate bracket allows for easy removal and installation, "Many car owners buy license plate brackets so they can use them when parking or during restricted driving days."
In response, a staff member at the Xueyuan Road Motor Vehicle Inspection Station told the reporter, "After purchasing a car, one needs to go to the vehicle inspection office to handle relevant procedures before driving on the road. Driving without a license plate is an illegal act, violating traffic management regulations and posing traffic safety hazards." This staff member also mentioned that when registering for license plates at the motor vehicle inspection station, each set of plates comes with a set of one-time-use 'Beijing character buckle' installed on the back of the plate, which cannot be removed unless damaged. "Now that there are more and more cars, the restrictions on license plates and parking difficulties bring inconvenience to drivers. Many car owners avoid being caught by hiding or removing their license plates illegally."
This "rigid demand" from car owners has fueled a booming market for auto parts, with various devices designed to evade electronic eyes available. According to the reporter's investigation at the West Suburban Auto Parts City, the most popular item remains the detachable license plate bracket. The reporter randomly entered an auto decoration shop and expressed the need. The shopkeeper looked around carefully and then took out several types of license plate brackets, whispering, "This one can be disassembled, it sells the best, and the feedback from car owners is good." This shopkeeper also demonstrated: installing the license plate on a detachable bracket, then fixing the iron plate on the car, using a key to open the lock can easily remove the plate from the fixed iron plate.
In the auto parts city, many shops sell license plate brackets, with prices ranging from 50 to 100 yuan. Many shopkeepers reported that the sale of license plate brackets is strictly checked, and many stores do not keep inventory.
A driver who just bought a license plate bracket at the auto parts city told the reporter, "Buying a detachable license plate bracket is out of侥幸 psychology. There is a need to prevent the loss of license plates, but more importantly, to avoid electronic eye surveillance and drive out during restricted hours. Additionally, changing the license plate or removing it on highways can help avoid penalties for violations."
Besides the auto parts city, such "detachable license plate brackets" can also be purchased on Taobao. Through searches, the reporter found that more than a hundred online stores operate similar products, with prices slightly cheaper than physical stores. They also come with usage methods and detailed diagrams. "The old-style license plate brackets were thicker and relatively cheaper; now these ones are almost indistinguishable once installed," said a seller from one online store. Manufacturers produce ultra-thin license plate brackets "thoughtfully," selling dozens of sets a month.
According to the provisions of the "Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China," intentionally obstructing, defacing, or failing to install motor vehicle license plates as required are all traffic violations, and the traffic management department will impose fines and deduct points. Companies producing and selling detachable or flip-style license plate frames without national approval may constitute criminal offenses if the circumstances are serious, with a maximum sentence of three years imprisonment. "We can immediately identify vehicles that deliberately remove their license plates; these cars often drive fast and do not follow rules," said a traffic police officer on duty at South Xiaojie Street outside Dongzhimen. "Privately removing license plates shows a lack of responsibility, posing traffic safety hazards and fostering bad driving habits. If their car hits someone and flees, they would be impossible to find. Therefore, we must increase the investigation of such license-related violations during road checks and annual inspections, and severely punish any discovered violations."
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