New York City is facing a growing crisis as tech-savvy drivers use “ghost” license plates to evade tolls and fines, costing the city an estimated $200 million annually. A recent analysis by Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine’s office reveals that these rogue motorists are passing through tolls and speed cameras undetected a staggering 100,000 times each month.
The problem has escalated with the proliferation of traffic cameras across the city. Ironically, the increased enforcement has led to a surge in drivers using various methods to obscure their plates. Some employ high-tech “James Bond-level” devices that can cover plates at the push of a button, while others resort to low-tech solutions like scratching out numbers or using fake tags.
Levine’s study found that over 5% of vehicles captured by city cameras now have unreadable plates. This not only results in lost revenue but also raises serious safety concerns. Luther Sibuea, an Uber driver and father, worries about hit-and-run drivers using ghost plates to evade justice.
To combat this issue, Levine proposes several solutions, including radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags on registration stickers and the use of artificial intelligence to match obscured plates to registered vehicles. He also suggests increasing fines and cracking down on the online marketplace for plate-obscuring devices.
City officials are taking notice. A recent joint operation by the NYPD and MTA caught 200 offenders, including a career criminal with a loaded gun. However, as New York grapples with this high-tech problem, officials must balance effective enforcement with privacy concerns and potential government overreach.
