It seems these days that almost everything is going digital. Posters are being replaced with flat screens with animated advertising and even tables in food courts have screens built in with advertising. The last place you might expect to see advertising would be on the number plates of your car.
Apparently, California is considering the introduction of digital number plates which would show advertisements when the vehicle is stationary for four seconds. The DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) would lease advertising time out and create revenue from the scheme. Aside from commercial value, the digital number plates could also be used for public service announcements or other warning messages.
I guess the real question here is whether or not this is practical. I know cars come with batteries but the last thing that the average person would want to be doing is trying to work out how to reboot their number plate. Also, this would be a potential vector for car identity theft (and someone will eventually work out how to” jailbreak” a digital number plate and put whatever they wanted on it).
Whilst these “smart plates” may seem like a good idea, I do not like the idea of having any sort of commercial advertising on my car aside from the default badges (I even removed the stickers that the tint guys put on the car). Some people might also want in on some of the action by means of reduced car registration but I would also see that being gobbled up by bureaucrats and red tape.
So, I reckon it theory it’s a good idea but I think I would pass on it if it ever became available in Australia.
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