Photoblocker in California

"ROCKY MOUNTAIN RADAR" AT MOBILETRAXX ELECTRONICS

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IT'S LEGAL!! California Police Admit That PhotoBlocker Spray IS LEGAL...

Posted on Sat, Feb. 04, 2006

Traffic cameras

So one fine day you open the mail and find a traffic citation, saying you were speeding or ran a stop sign or red light somewhere.You know you never got a ticket from a traffic cop, so what gives?You've been nabbed by an automatic camera, triggered by radar or some other device, which took a picture of your car's license plate and recorded the time, location, speed and other data. Send your check to the court, please.There is, supposedly, help out there.SPRAY AND PRAY A product called PhotoBlocker is on the market that claims to foil these automatic cameras.It's a clear liquid spray paint that comes in a 6-ounce can and sells for $30 a pop -- make that $5 an ounce.The paint is supposed to blur the numbers and letters on a license plate when a camera takes its picture by reflecting the camera flash back on the lens, resulting in an overexposed, unreadable picture, and making a citation unenforceable.California law prohibits putting clear plastic covers over plates that do the same thing, but there is nothing specific in the vehicle code that prohibits using a product like PhotoBlocker, according to Tom Marshall, a spokesman at the California Highway Patrol's Sacramento headquarters."I can't tell you if it works or not," he said. "If you don't get a ticket, I guess it works. Whether it's legal is somewhat of a gray area."The state vehicle code says a motorist can't do anything to obscure or block an officer from seeing plate numbers."The question is whether the cameras are an extension of the eyes of the officers. There's somewhat of a debate on that issue."It comes down, in his mind, to intent, Marshall said. If the courts rule that the spray paint is illegal, the car owner would have to be caught in the act of spraying it on in order for a case to be made."In my view, that stuff should be wrong, but does the vehicle code say that? No," he said."Those cameras are up there for a reason, to get you to stop when you're supposed to stop and avoid collisions."Some years ago, when enforcement cameras were first introduced, a motorist reportedly got a citation in the mail with a picture of his car.The man took a Polaroid photo of cash in the amount of the fine on the traffic ticket and mailed it back.The police sent back a photo of a pair of handcuffs and a polite note saying to pay up or show up.
Joe ScottMarketing Directorwww.PhantomPlate.com703 624 9318