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Approximately 200 vehicle owners responded to state Rep. Jesse Topper's "Hard-to-Read License Plate Event" in June in the parking lot adjacent to his office in Bedford.
As with a similar event held in suburban Johnstown last August by state Rep. Jim Rigby and the Richland Township Police Department, Topper's event was aimed at getting deteriorated or damaged plates off vehicles -- plates that in fact can pose a danger to police trying to carry out their duties.
Bedford Borough and state police participated in Topper's replacement program, which saved the 200 vehicle owners $7.50 each. That is the fee Pennsylvania normally charges for replacing a plate.
Although such replacement programs are commendable, they don't achieve a 100% response from motorists in the area whose vehicles are "wearing" plates that have no justification for still being on their vehicles.
But there is a way for the state to virtually eliminate the problem, if it is intent on doing so.
More about that later.
An illegible registration plate is one on which one or more numbers or letters cannot be discerned from a distance of 50 feet.
Also categorized as illegible are plates that are peeling or blistering, or those that have lost their reflectivity or are discolored.
Some vehicle owners might argue that they should have the right to trash the appearance of their car or truck, new or not-so-new, if they wish. That would be true if there wasn't the police-safety issue.
However, police need to be able to identify vehicles that they might be seeking, especially in cases involving kidnappings, murders, robberies or other incidents where a person's life might be in danger.
An illegible plate might be the difference as to whether a suspect is apprehended or not -- or whether a police officer is fatally ambushed.
About that "later" mentioned above: One option might be for the state to include a required license-plate-legibility check as part of the annual safety inspection, since there is a safety aspect that would be tied to such a requirement.
Meanwhile, perhaps virtually all illegible plates would be replaced if the state provided a free monthslong opportunity for replacement before the $7.50 fee would again kick in -- with adequate publicity surrounding the opportunity and what constitutes a no-longer-acceptable plate.
Decades ago, Pennsylvania replaced all license plates annually, then opted for five-year replacement.
Then the commonwealth, during the late 1900s, forgot about how to conduct regular full replacement, perhaps in part due to so many different designs available, and it was not many years before Keystone State plates began unfairly projecting the commonwealth as a decrepit rust-belt place.
Some plates today continue to project that negative, untrue message.
State lawmakers should not have to waste their time and state taxpayer funds to publicize and conduct sessions such as Topper's and Rigby's, despite the commendable nature of their efforts. Ensuring replacement of license plates in bad condition is a state Department of Transportation responsibility that should be ably managed by that department.
"You're invited to Rep. Topper's free license plate replacement event," Topper's mailed invitation to constituents proclaimed. "Attendees will be in and out in just a few minutes."
Those 200 or so motorists who responded did themselves, police and the commonwealth a favor.