I’m Drivin’ It: California Ponders Ad-Supported Electronic License Plates

California must really be strapped for cash. In a move to generate some revenue, the state is considering a bill to allow electronic advertisements to be placed on vehicle license plates.

Before your ass gets too puckered, I hear you – what about driver safety, right? Apparently, the ads will only play if a vehicle idles for more than four seconds, or is stopped entirely. The plate number would be visible perpetually in one form or another. That’s… slightly better, I guess.

“The idea is not to turn a motorist’s vehicle into a mobile billboard,” said Senator Curren Price, the guy behind the idea, “but rather to create a platform for motorists to show their support for existing good working organizations.” Conrad Jordan, chief executive of Smart Plate, a company currently experimenting with digital plate technology, added that drivers would be able to customize their plates with their own messages as well – essentially the next evolution of the bumper sticker. The tech could also be used to broadcast important info in an emergency.

Alright, so let’s stop and think about this for a moment. Your license plate is now digital – a screen. What if you’re a criminal? Your license plate is now potentially an easily-hackable device. It can read whatever registration number you want it to, easily slipping under the radar. And what about accidents? What about bad accidents? Your vehicle is suddenly a pain in the ass to identify, because your license screen went out. And what about when your vehicle isn’t on? Does the license plate go out? Does it stay on? Won’t that be bad for your vehicle’s battery in the long run? Won’t that stress you out, knowing that it was the ads that were playing on your minivan while you were in Wal-Mart killed your battery? I know you’re hurting for some revenue, California, but is this really the way to go about it? Granted, Smart Plate hasn’t begun production on a prototype, but they’ve got some really, really big puzzles to figure out before this tech is ready for prime time.

[Via Mercury News]