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Ah so this is the plates not the numbers. Just for moment I was kind of confused... I've always been surprised that there are so many licence plate number form

Ah so this is the plates not the numbers. Just for moment I was kind of confused... I've always been surprised that there are so many licence plate number formats in use across the US. And some of the plate designs are pretty elaborate: I wonder to what extent they affect readability at a distance?

mistrial9 3y ago
manufacturers of red-light cameras do not wonder, they have quietly made fortunes in the past 20 years.. more recently "mandatory license plate scanners at major bridges and toll roads" it seems. edit
- mikhailfranco 3y ago
  Most US states do not have red-light cameras, and some that did, have withdrawn them. For example, see the Redflex bribery case, and other legal challenges. YMMV in other countries: some are packed full of red-light and speed cameras, with phone-use detection expanding rapidly. Most toll systems use different tech (e.g RFID), reinforced by plate readers to identify violators. However, plate readers will always be a part of national security, and certain local law enforcement tactics.
  - Symbiote 3y ago
    Plenty of toll roads recognize number plates in Europe, but it may well be that it's easier to implement this system when there are typically only two or three plate designs per country, and they're generally all pretty much the same — black letters on a white or yellow background. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_vehicle_registration_plate#List https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_vehicle_registration_...
  - mistrial9 3y ago
    rapidly multiplying red-light cameras at every major city intersection here in California -- see San Diego County technology plan and others. Zero discussion of withdrawing any of them, quite the opposite -- "no public debate evident." Roughly one-in-ten residents of the USA live in California. Secondly, a trend of physical restriction for entry, exit and travel of whole portions of counties, via declaration of disaster from Sacramento.
OJFord 3y ago
It probably is largely familiarity, but I find them all a lot harder to read than European numberplates, at any distance. The font (family), colouring, spacing, etc. Sometimes when they're in a film or something and seem significant (the shot hovers on it, or zooms in on it or something) I've had to pause or go back to read it.
mikhailfranco 3y ago
Traffic cameras usually have to recalibrate for every single one (e.g. for AI, retrain with new designs in the training set). In the future, I might expect designs (and fonts) to converge towards AI legibility, but these plates raise money for states, so that will provide a dampening effect. I know at least one other country that has recently initiated a program to redesign plates for AI legibility.
- jefftk 3y ago
  > I might expect designs (and fonts) to converge towards AI legibility Why would you expect that? AI is getting more capable faster than our legislative systems are likely to address something like this.
dboreham 3y ago
US plates aren't expected to be readable (like they are in Europe).

mistrial9 3y ago

manufacturers of red-light cameras do not wonder, they have quietly made fortunes in the past 20 years.. more recently "mandatory license plate scanners at major bridges and toll roads" it seems. edit

mikhailfranco 3y ago
Most US states do not have red-light cameras, and some that did, have withdrawn them. For example, see the Redflex bribery case, and other legal challenges. YMMV in other countries: some are packed full of red-light and speed cameras, with phone-use detection expanding rapidly. Most toll systems use different tech (e.g RFID), reinforced by plate readers to identify violators. However, plate readers will always be a part of national security, and certain local law enforcement tactics.
- Symbiote 3y ago
  Plenty of toll roads recognize number plates in Europe, but it may well be that it's easier to implement this system when there are typically only two or three plate designs per country, and they're generally all pretty much the same — black letters on a white or yellow background. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_vehicle_registration_plate#List https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_vehicle_registration_...
- mistrial9 3y ago
  rapidly multiplying red-light cameras at every major city intersection here in California -- see San Diego County technology plan and others. Zero discussion of withdrawing any of them, quite the opposite -- "no public debate evident." Roughly one-in-ten residents of the USA live in California. Secondly, a trend of physical restriction for entry, exit and travel of whole portions of counties, via declaration of disaster from Sacramento.

OJFord 3y ago

It probably is largely familiarity, but I find them all a lot harder to read than European numberplates, at any distance. The font (family), colouring, spacing, etc. Sometimes when they're in a film or something and seem significant (the shot hovers on it, or zooms in on it or something) I've had to pause or go back to read it.

mikhailfranco 3y ago

Traffic cameras usually have to recalibrate for every single one (e.g. for AI, retrain with new designs in the training set). In the future, I might expect designs (and fonts) to converge towards AI legibility, but these plates raise money for states, so that will provide a dampening effect. I know at least one other country that has recently initiated a program to redesign plates for AI legibility.

jefftk 3y ago
> I might expect designs (and fonts) to converge towards AI legibility Why would you expect that? AI is getting more capable faster than our legislative systems are likely to address something like this.

dboreham 3y ago

US plates aren't expected to be readable (like they are in Europe).