VA Law Change: No Front Plate, 35% Tint, Remove 80mph Reckless Driving

[DarkstarZero]

Hey guys, haven't been active in a while because I have a newborn... But after being harassed by a police officer for my front plate and my window tint, even though it's LEGAL (50%), I decided I should do something about it.

I used this link to contact my local representatives:
http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/VGAMain?openform

I told them how I want Virginia to be for car lovers but it's the opposite. I said we should follow Maryland's lead and change the front plate law so that if the car is not designed to hold a front plate, it doesn't need to have one. I said how 35% tint on the rest of the car is great, saves my son and my interior from sun damage, why can't I save myself and my front seats as well? And, of course, how the 80mph reckless driving law is absolutely stupid when our speed limits are 70mph.

I wasn't expecting any response but I was extremely surprised when I did. Basically my Senator's office said that they want to copy the MD version of the Front Plate Law and put it on the Proposed Legislation for next year. The reason why we can't have anything less than 50% tint on front windows is because the police don't want the law to change, and they're vocal about it, and no one else is vocal in changing it, therefor the law stays. And as for the 80mph reckless driving non-sense, my senator was pushing to get that changed but it failed to pass the Transportation Committee, I'm guessing that's thanks to more police lobbying.

The main issue with all of this is that the VA police departments pay into a union, that union pays lobbyists, those lobbyists lobby to keep these laws because the money made by traffic tickets goes back into the police force (which means it goes back into the union). Which is honestly the real enemy here.

My buddy who's a police officer says he hates being on "ticketing duty" and would rather be actually serving and protecting. VA Cops are generally good guys. The issue is with the VSPA for which each officer pays $180 in dues which goes towards:

"Political Action Committee:
With permission, your dues can be deposited directly into our PAC account. This allows us to accumulate a sizable war chest to be used during political campaigns to support candidates who are favorable to our legislative issues. (THIS INCLUDES JUDGES)

Lobbying:
Wayne Huggins, the Executive Director and Chief Lobbyist, works solely for the benefit of our Association and the law–enforcement community. Wayne keeps you informed by sending out all member e-mails to keep you up-to-date of the happenings at the Capitol..."
http://vspa.org/membership/benefits

So to sum it up, my district Senator agrees with me on all counts, that's awesome! But we need more voices pushing other senators. If we can be louder than the police and other lobbyists for just a year, these laws will change. And all you have to do is click this link, http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/VGAMain?openform, and write a quick email to your local representatives. Things will change.

================================================== =====

Here's my email to them and their response:

Dear Sirs,

I'm sorry to bother you. I will be brief as I know your time is valuable.
I am a car enthusiast, as are many area residents, likely thanks to our
higher-than-average incomes. When I say that I am an enthusiast, I mean
that in every sense of the word. Cars are my passion, my hobby, and as you
can imagine with the growth and success of shows like Top Gear, I'm far
from alone. I love the round-a-bouts put in at rt50 and rt15, traffic moves
smoothly now, it's awesome. I love the increase in speed limits on the
highways, it's more consistent with our surrounding states. I can't wait
for the expansion of rt50 to be complete, that improvement was sorely
needed and I'm glad things are happening now. I'd love for these
improvements to continue. I want Virginia to be for car lovers.

Some issues preventing that are laws like the front plate requirement. I've
picked up a lot of my cars from out-of-state where they don't have front
plates. The cars are European and are not designed for front plates so I
have to drill holes into the bumper, reducing the value of the car. SB771
was presented to eliminate the requirement for front plates, that would
have been nice but I know there's some concerns around it. I think Maryland
did it correctly where if the car is not designed to hold a front plate, it
is not required to display one. I would love to see Virginia follow in
their steps.

Another issue is window tint for the front windows. 35% is allowed for the
rest of the car, which is great, it keeps my son cool in the summer. But
the law for the front side windows is not even close. I'd love for 35% on
all windows, except the wind screen of course, to be legal like it is in
our neighbor states. I wanted this to be brief but I guess it's getting a
little lengthy now, sorry about that.

Just one last thing. The speed limit on the highway is 70. If one were to
be going downhill and accidentally hit 80 they could be charged with
Reckless Driving, 6 points on their license, a huge fine, their car could
be impounded and they could be placed in jail for up to a year at the
discretion of the officer and judge. This is just silly and makes no sense
to me. I know that doesn't normally happen but we've all heard horror
stories of officers being unprofessional and not understanding in what
could be an innocent lapse in momentum control.

I want you to know I love Virginia, I love how hard you guys work, and I'd
love to continue to live here. Unfortunately, Virginia is not currently for
car lovers, and I've been tempted more and more to move to the border of
West Virginia where the laws are more sensible, as are the taxes. One quick
thing about taxes, why does Loudoun County require a window decal when
surrounding counties do not? Thank you for your time! You can always meet
me and other car enthusiast at Katie's Coffee in Great Falls on Saturdays
from 7am to 8am. A reply would be much appreciated though I understand if
you have more pressing business to attend to.

All the best

================================================== ======

Dear John:

Thank you for your message regarding your ideas for improving our automobile regulations and laws. The 2014 Legislative Session has wrapped for the year. During the 2013 Legislative Session, Senator Black sponsored SB 694, which would have corrected the speeding problem. He agrees with you completely that people should not suffer sever consequences, such as losing their license, for this offense.
Here is the link to his legislation: http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp...?131+sum+SB694 Unfortunately, it failed to pass the Transportation Committee and never made it to the Senate floor. Unless there is a major lobbying effort on behalf of some vocal groups, the result would be the same if he introduced it again.

The police are firmly opposed to allowing darker tinting on automobiles because it is a safety risk to them when they pull someone over. They have been vocal about their opposition and it is not likely that this law will change anytime soon.

I would be happy to put your idea about the license plates in his Proposed Legislation file for next year. He thought that was a good idea and said he will look closer at the current law, see if he can garner some support for this change with senators and, if he can find support for it he will look at introducing this legislation next year. The 2015 Legislative Session will begin mid January. You are welcome to contact us again to see if we were able to pull together support for changing our front plate laws to be more like Maryland's.

I know Senator Black appreciates your passion for cars. He has family members that are serious car enthusiasts, so he is happy to do what he can to make our roads more enjoyable and accessible to car enthusiasts. On Friday, he is meeting with county staff to begin directing road improvements for the $300,000 he was able to bring back to the county this year. Hopefully, this will make things better, especially considering the harsh winter we had.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact us about these issues. Please feel free to contact us again on issues that are important to you.

Sincerely,

Michelle Staton
Aide
Senator Dick Black, 13th District
www.SenatorBlack.com

[M3Carbon]

Good for you for taking a stand! Unfortunately the MD law was never officially passed so you might not have the leverage you were anticipating. Regardless, keep pressing the issue.

[thugmaster]

Your Senators name is Black, Dick? That's just awesome. He's got my vote! �

[socrates42]

Its good to hear that they were receptive. I like that you invited them to C&C. If you really want the legislation to hit the floor, start circulating a petition at C&C. I'm sure you can gather a substantial number this summer.

[Cyclone Chris]

What??? Over 80 is reckless driving in VA. Shit. My cruising speed is typically around 85. Things I got to look forward to come October.

[checkmate]

I thought MD did not pass the no front license plate law? Am I missing something?

[soniczoom5]

Originally Posted by checkmate

I thought MD did not pass the no front license plate law? Am I missing something?

yeah, im pretty sure this never PASSED in MD........

[MDyDinanM]

Good luck.

I've seen a bill introduced in VA every few years to remove the front plate requirement but it either gets passed on to another year or dies. Not very optimistic.

[DarkstarZero]

It is literally a matter of at least one person in each region contacting their representative and asking for these things in a manner that is respectful and intelligent.

Like it says, even my representative, and yes his name is Black, Dick, tried to eliminate the 80mph reckless driving law but it was shot down - likely by the ONLY group that bothers to lobby about such subjects, the police.

So it really is simple, just tell your representative you want to see a change. Because the only side they've ever heard from so far is probably the police and that's it. I'm sure they would love to hear from the real population. Also, I like the campaign slogan "Virginia is for Car Lovers" use that.

[Haywood]

Originally Posted by Cyclone Chris

What??? Over 80 is reckless driving in VA. Shit. My cruising speed is typically around 85. Things I got to look forward to come October.

Like many will tell you, you're screwed in VA if you get caught speeding. I've had 3 reckless driving tickets in 15 years. I never got a speeding ticket before moving to VA. The only state (and DC) that don't allow radar detectors so the cops have the advantage. Also, there's very low crime in No. VA so the cops just love hanging out and racking up speeding tickets.

I will definitely get in on this. I haven't been stopped yet for a lack of front plate. Probably a matter of time.

[WarrantyTracker]

Legislators are actually, in most cases, constantly looking for a bill they can introduce that addresses an issue in a way that sounds sensible to some portion of the public. As long as it doesn't sound nuts to some portion of their voting constituency.

But the odds of anything ever making it to actual enactment are always low.

Also, the LEO lobby is tough to beat, for obvious reasons. Unless it's a firearm issue, in which case the LEO lobby usually gets rolled. And when it comes to auto safety, don't forget the insurance lobby -- also tough to beat.

[BMWPower06]

Have you posted this on other forums, not just BMW forums, but every forum. If you put it in the DC area section of all the car forums and even just a handful of people from each forum send an email, we could have a pretty big impact!

[DarkstarZero]

Originally Posted by BMWPower06

Have you posted this on other forums, not just BMW forums, but every forum. If you put it in the DC area section of all the car forums and even just a handful of people from each forum send an email, we could have a pretty big impact!

I like the way you think! Feel free to repost it elsewhere. I'll do the same in my free time but, full disclosure, I'm currently looking at moving across the border on the edge of West Virginia; land of the free.

[Pat@sonictuning]

I submitted a letter like your to our Senator.

[DarkstarZero]

Originally Posted by Pat@sonictuning

I submitted a letter like your to our Senator.

Nice! The Window Tint law is ridiculous. 35% all-around is legal in West Virginia and they don't seem to have any issues with it even though there's more guns there than here in VA.

[Pat@sonictuning]

Originally Posted by DarkstarZero

Nice! The Window Tint law is ridiculous. 35% all-around is legal in West Virginia and they don't seem to have any issues with it even though there's more guns there than here in VA.

Yeah the tint law is stupid but the front license plate is even dumber in my opinion.

[BAKZOOM]

I was searching online for VA front tag plate laws and ran into this thread. Any updates over the last year?

I know the DMV still requires front and rear plates in VA.

[M3atman]

BOOM!!!!

Just started a petition. Sign it

[Alicio]

How about they reduce or remove the property tax on cars in VA? I am paying $1500 a year for my 2011 M3 this is BS...

[M3atman]

Petition to end front license plates

https://www.change.org/p/terry-mcaul...edium=copylink

[Haywood]

Originally Posted by M3atman

Petition to end front license plates

https://www.change.org/p/terry-mcaul...edium=copylink

Nice. Just signed it! I have still not put a front license plate on and haven't had an issue. Got pulled over a couple times and told the cop it's in my trunk. I don't think they cared too much.

[simpleM3]

Until you're in Arlington County where real police work is defined by traffic violations. I've gotten 2 tickets in one week while parked on Arlington streets for not having a plate. I didn't even know they could do that. I thought not having a front plate was like having something hanging from your mirror. Illegal, but rarely ever a thing cops look out for or ticket you for. This front plate law is fucking bullshit and the cops have gone way too far with it.

Originally Posted by Haywood

Nice. Just signed it! I have still not put a front license plate on and haven't had an issue. Got pulled over a couple times and told the cop it's in my trunk. I don't think they cared too much.