"Innovative economy" again at it's finest!!
All I'm gonna say is keep track of this crap AND vote the SOB's out of office and get people in office that will change these crappy laws!!!
Now, I'm ALL for this IF the Cops can't see a plate, but just b/c it stick's out, NO!!
Same way with a tailgate!! A dropped tailgate probably will allow a couple of mpg better mileage so what the hey!!
AND I look WHERE I AM DRIVING and so don't need the GOV. protecting me at the TAX cost it would be b/c I AM responsible!! (IE., I am NOT A victim!!!!)...
Oh, btw, how's Illinois's gun laws coming along?? Are they confiscating all of them yet??
pdq67
While I understand and somewhat agree about the trailer hitch ball being protection, think about it from the other point of view: If you
accidentally bump into someone, a protruding ball and hitch can cause more overall damage than if it was "bumper to bumper". Sure, it might be limited to one car, but overall its probably going to cost more to the insurance companies... I'd bet it was the insurance companies that asked for this law...
HONESTLY, I was actually involved in an accident once (years ago)
where the vehicle with the hitch backed into another vehicle, causing alot of damage, alot more than bumper-to-bumper tap would have caused... Kind of like those "government mandated" 5-mph bumpers they forced on us in the '70s... But with a ball protruding and mounted rigidly to the frame, there is no "give."
The police can already ticket for almost anything they want to make up, so adding another law as a part of an "innovative economy" doesn't really make sense. Usually these fines are no where near enough to cover the costs, much less generate additional revenue.
I don't see it as a revenue generator, but I do see it as another tool the police can use as an excuse to pull someone over...
While I agree that many people are morons, and many follow too closely, etc... I too, "look where I am driving", but I have had MANY A-holes, often in in big trucks with ball & hitches, pull right in front of me and quickly slow down (basically a right-turn from the left lane). No matter how safe or responsible I am, someday one of these idiots is going to be the cause of an accident, even though "technically" they were in front... Pretty much everyday I see several idiots driving their trucks like they were small sports cars...
And thats likely why ANY law gets suggested... Its not for the few that are responsible, its for the majority that are generally irresponsible...
As for the tailgate, I recall several different studies over the years dismissing the idea that "down" tailgates improve mileage...
One well known is the Mythbusters:
http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/m...atabase/driving-tailgate-fuel-consumption.htm
But from an engineering standpoint, the shape of a pickup cab/bed does create a poor aerodynamic area... Think of a tear drop, this is a great shape. Even the old cars like the 1969 Dodge Charger 500 and Daytona, the engineers realized the "recessed" rear windows (like the 66/67 Chevelles too) caused alot of drag, enough to warrant designing a flush-mounted rear window... Once the bed (with the gate up ) fills with air, the rest of the flowing air will stay above this layer, and therefore above the tailgate...
Ever drive with leaves in the bed, and notice how differently those leaves act with the tailgate up versus down?