Ontario driver charged for using licence plate-concealing technology
A driver in Ontario has been charged after police discovered a device on their vehicle that conceals the licence plate with just a push of a button.
According to Halton police, an officer spotted a black Porsche Panamera 4S in Milton that appeared to be driving without a licence plate this weekend.
With just a push of a button, this Ontario driver can block their licence plate, police said. (Halton police)“The vehicle was missing its front licence plate,” Const. Christopher Mccullough told CTV News Toronto. “As the Porsche passed the police vehicle [..] we saw the rear plate was missing. Well, we thought it was missing at the time.”
But when the officer looked closely, he realized the driver was using a licence plate concealing device.
A tweet, released by police on Sunday, shows what appears to be a black retractable cover that blocks the licence plate from view.
The licence plate can be concealed by pressing a button in the driver seat, police said.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Police confirmed the driver was given two $110 tickets – one for having an obstructed plate, and the other for appearing to not have a licence plate – and could face additional charges if they were using the device to avoid paying tolls.
A spokesperson for the 407 ETR told CTV News Toronto toll evasion is something it takes “very seriously.”
“We work to track and pursue toll evaders to the full extent of the law,” the statement reads.
According to the Ontario Highway Traffic Act, it is illegal for any driver to obstruct their licence plate.
"The entire number plate, including the numbers, is plainly visible at all times, and the view of the number plate shall not be obscured or obstructed by spare tires, bumper bars, any part of the vehicle, any attachments to the vehicle or the load carried."
Obstructing licence plates also makes it nearly impossible for speed, red light and Highway 407 toll cameras to issue fines and fees.
With files from CTV News Toronto’s Pat Foran
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.