Australians to Investigate Bar Code Plates

The allocation of three-letter, three-number plates in the State of Victoria, Australia is nearing exhaustion and the authorities are urgently looking at the best alternatives to proceed.

It seems likely that, in any event, a unique State format will be required. Aside from the visual aspect, electronic innovation may play a big part: The Association of Australian and New Zealand Traffic Authorities (AUSTROADS) are looking at identification chips built into the physical number plates.

The new technology is often colloquially referred to as involving 'bar codes'. However, the data is stored in a digital rather than visual format which can be read by portable or roadside equipment - and not actually 'scanned' as at a supermarket checkout.

The idea has many advantages, not least the ease of verifying a plate's integrity. It would be a simple matter to check the registration displayed against that recorded on its chip.

Cameras could be replaced by discrete monitoring boxes either at fixed places or in police patrol vehicles. They would perform the same monitoring functions and could, no doubt, operate in conjunction with a speed assessment device.

There is a potential problem though: If such a system were to be introduced in the UK , the current requirement to produce an actual photograph of a speeding offence would, however, need to be modified or, more likely, over-ruled.

Further reading:
South Africa Leads the Way with Digital Number Plates

South Africa Clamps Down on Plate Fraud

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