A NEW policy coming in on November 12 for thousands of Americans will see cars towed with no notice after enforcement officers check just one single detail.
Officials are leading a crackdown on vehicles owned by “bad actors” who they say are trying to dodge traffic laws.
Thousand of drivers could have their cars towed from November 12 if they make one simple mistake[/caption]
Regulators in Portland, OR, are introducing new rules targeting drivers who don’t properly display their registration information.
With over 600,000 residents, Portland is one of the most populated cities in the nation.
And, since it’s also one of the smallest of the nation’s major cities, keeping the traffic flowing smoothly is a major priority for city officials.
The city’s law enforcement are, therefore, concerned by the rise they are reportedly seeing in drivers trying to avoid penalties for illegal parking by hiding vital information.
Unscrupulous motorists have, according to the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), been deliberately concealing their licence plates and VINs.
The idea is that, without this data, officials can’t register offences properly and can’t locate vehicle owners to dish out fines.
In response, the PBOT has announced that it will make concealment of the registration information an offence in its own right under its regulations.
From November 12, enforcement officers will be able to tow any car with the details improperly displayed.
All cars are required to have the VIN visible, usually found on the driver’s side dashboard, as well as unobstructed licence plates on the front and back.
But it’s easy to see how this could catch out drivers who are not trying to deliberately conceal their registration.
If you accidentally obscure your number plate, you could see your car hauled away to the impound.
Drivers will then have to pay a release fee to get their vehicles back, which could run into the hundreds of dollars.
The rules will also apply to motorcycles, mopeds and campervans.
Hannah Schafer, from the PBOT, told KOIN 6: “The goal of this new policy is primarily to address bad actors that appear to be intentionally hiding their VINs and removing license plates from their vehicles to make them unidentifiable to parking enforcement officers.”
However, it was confirmed that the city would set up a “towing hardship fund” to go with the policy.
This would grant drivers whose cars had been stolen before being towed and those on low incomes up to $300 to cover recovery costs and the release fee.
