Blackout license plates will soon become a reality on American roads. The trend has seemingly caught on and offers drivers of the state some options. But the design that has garnered the most attention is the blackout license plate. Kansas has become the latest state to offer the blackout license plate to its citizens. The white lettering on a black background has been extremely popular in the other states that have adopted it. So why the change? And how does it affect the average driver on Kansas roads?
What is a blackout license plate and where does it come from?
The name might be a little misleading. When we hear the term “blackout license plate” we imagine a license plate that has the ability to block the drivers registration. Not the case at all. The blackout license plate is simply a different option for drivers to choose from. As with most countries, America has different license plates depending on where the car is registered.
Some countries do use a universal plate. But the sheer size of America means that a lot of the administrative and law making tasks fall down to the states themselves and the local governments. Which can, in some cases, lead to a conflict in state vs federal laws. It all depends on which state you are talking about. Most American states offer at least a few different options as far as how the license plate actually looks.
American lawmakers are no strangers to controversy. However this seems to be more of a proposal that the general public can get behind. With similar plates being very successful in states like Minnesota, Kansas has become the newest state to join the trend. One must ask if this might make the police’s job of identifying law breakers slightly more difficult.
What are the long term effects of the new blackout plates?
Every state in the United States offers some unique design that has visual markings that give away the state the license plate originates from. So the question remains, will these new blackout license plates make the police’s job even more difficult than it already is? What if a they are chasing a driver in a dark alley with no light? Would the black plates not hinder the police’s vision?
Despite these questions, the states that have implemented the blackout license plates have seen a positive reaction from the public. The public seem to like the aesthetic of the all black plates with white letters. That is after all the extent of the effect they have. Purely a “cool” option to offer the citizens of the state. Not that Kansas needs more popularity right now. The Chiefs have made the state globally recognised.
The local governor was responsible for the change. House Bill 2201 in the Kansas State Legislature passed with flying colors to the delight of the Governor Kelly. She signed the bill into law that now sees the blackout license plates making their way to Kansas. The bill also allows for two other license plates that support local farming groups and the infamous route 66.
Will we see a future with one federal blackout license plate for the whole US?
Local governments are increasingly making changes to the everyday lives of their motorists. So this new blackout license plates give the Kansas drivers the option, for a $50 fee, to have a stylish, minimalistic license plate that others may not have yet. And if the data from the other states that have implemented the plates are anything to go by, we might end up seeing the blackout plates make their way to even more states. Can we see a future where all states simply adopt the blackout plates and forgo their traditional designs? An interesting thought to ponder.
