LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
State must prove license plates can’t be read
2/18/2013Your Jan. 30 article “Fee increase seen for license plates; Proposal is in state budget” described an Ohio Department of Public Safety proposal that would require drivers to pay $10 for new license plates if theirs are more than seven years old.
I have two vehicles. Both sets of plates are in perfect condition. I do not want or need new plates.
The Kasich administration, while touting lower taxes, has no problem with arbitrary mandates for new fees to raise revenue. For many motorists, this will create a financial hardship.
I appreciate law enforcement’s need to have readable plates. Perhaps officers could issue tickets to drivers whose plates can’t be read by traffic cameras, thus creating new revenue.
The state should have to prove to me that my plates can’t be read by instituting some form of inspection by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles or law-enforcement agencies.
KAREN KEEFER
Clover Lane
Make plates from other materials
Why can’t Ohio license plates be made of plastic or a composite to avoid rusting?
Why are Ohio lawmakers dragging their feet on making plates from other materials?
LARRY HECKMAN
Maumee
Do away with front license plate
Some people are driving with license plates that are rusted, worn, old, and faded. Plates that are unreadable need to be replaced. However, there is a better way to deal with this problem.
It’s not usually the rear plate that gets worn. The front one gets damaged from stone chips, road grime, and automatic car washes.
State lawmakers need to discontinue the front license plate requirement. Every other state in the region — Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania — requires only a single rear plate.
With the more aerodynamic design of new-car bumpers, mounting a front plate can pose a challenge.
BRIAN SCSAVNICKI
Perrysburg
Roundabouts not a good idea
Experts say roundabout intersections are safer than a four-way stop and improve the flow of traffic (“New Sylvania roundabout construction to begin June, 2014,” Jan. 8). These experts are wrong.
A four-way stop is safer. I think a motorist would be more likely to be involved in an accident at a roundabout. Plus, there are better uses for the $800,000 that a roundabout costs.
I hope the experts in the Lucas County Engineer’s office will rethink roundabouts. They are a big mistake.
JAMES MARKIN
Sylvania Township