Thursday, July 26, 2012

Another License Plate Change For Texas


I don't think it's been a full three years, but the state of Texas is once again changing the design of their license plates. The plate currently in use is the multi-colored one pictured above (the bottom picture), which has everything on it but the Alamo. It turns out that too many witnesses of crimes and accidents have been unable to get a plate number because the plate is too "busy" (has too many colors and pictures on it). The plate is pretty, but it just doesn't work as intended (since a plate that isn't easy to read is worthless).

This should have been thought of before the plate was put in service, but it wasn't. Now they have gone to the plate above (the top picture). This is what Texas license plates used to look like (back in the sixties and seventies). So after years of many plate changes, they have returned to the old, tried but true design.

They started issuing the new plates this month, so you should be seeing them on cars very soon. Personally, I like the new plate. But then I'm an older guy who never understood why they were changed in the first place. It's a clean design and it works -- and that's all that matters. Beauty was never meant to be an element of license plate design.

4 comments:

  1. California has unadorned plates which receive much negative comment about the state "having no imagination." You can, however, pay around $50 extra to get one with a picture background, which money goes to support special causes, such as saving state parks. Some of them are rather worthwhile causes.

    http://www.dmv.ca.gov/online/elp/elp.htm

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  2. Texas also has the speciality plates which help some charities and organizations, and they have different designs. I like the simplicity of the new general plate though.

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  3. That said, I think the Arizona license plates combine both beauty and readability. There's no reason the two need to conflict. I think the bigger reason Texas switched back to a simple plate is the same reason California did -- because the Lege is unwilling to raise raise taxes on rich people and thus the state is basically bankrupt.

    Badtux

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  4. I like the simple looking one too..easy peasy.

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