South Africa Leads the Way with Digital Number Plates
The Department of Transport for the Gauteng Province in South Africa is set to introduce the world's first truly 'tamper-proof' number plates.
The idea is that a label with a bar-code will be fitted to the vehicle's rear window and used in conjunction with the conventional plates.
Apart from the visual safeguard - already widely employed here by etching the registration onto the car window - the label will contain data on a tiny micro-chip.
A Radio Frequency Identification tag (RFID) will also be included, enabling the details to be verified by scanning equpment up to three metres away.
The physical plates will also be required, by law, to be affixed with special tamper-proof' bolts fitted only by acredited dealers.
Many are opposed to the plans, however, on both practical and ethical grounds: The thought of having to drill holes in the bodywork of a prized motor car is abhorrent to some, who would clearly prefer the alternative of simple adhesive plates. Sceptics are, of course, seriously concerned about covert access by criminals to the personal data contained in the 'smart' label.
Moreover, there are other technical issues which need to be addressed before the scheme can get fully under way. But it seems more and more likely that this approach will eventually find favour with similar licensing authorities all over the world.