Photoblocker

Photoblocker license plate cover and photoblocker spray

Lately, I've come across quite a few discussions about photoblocker spray and clear license plate cover, both of which suppose to protect you from being photographed by traffic light or speeding cameras. Let's look at the data that I was able to gather in regard to both of those products and let us see if they work or if it is another hype.

Photoblocker license plate

Photoblocker license plate cover is made of clear, transparent plastic that is installed over your regular license plate. Upon installation, your license number remains visible to a human eye; yet suppose to make your number invisible to the cameras trying to take a snapshot of your license plate. Well, to some extent this claim is valid; however, it is not full truth.

It is true that in some cases, the flash from the camera is reflected of the license plate; hence there is a problem with the resulting picture, as the reflected light creates an overexposure. When you see that kind of picture, there is a big white spot instead of eligible numbers that the private companies running the camera issued tickets show expect to see there (try to take a picture of yourself with a flash in the mirror - the same thing).

I deliberately used the phrase "in some cases." I did so because I learned on several forums and blogs that this form of protection against traffic tickets doesn't work all the time. For instance, it failed when the camera was used with a telelens from a police car as oppose to stationary cameras that are mounted on bridges or poles along the highways. The ticket was actually issued and came in mail. Now, some people believe that the result depends on the angle under which the camera tries to shoot the picture of your plate. It sounds logical and I have yet to find more scientific data regarding that claim. In any case, mounting the photoblocker license plate on your car will not guarantee that you won't get the ticket based on a picture from a camera be it a stationary or mobile unit.

When I researched the topic, another issue arose, which is the legality of the use of license plate covers. I have no data for each state, but it seems that not all states allow its use. According to many laws it is illegal to cover license plates or prevent people from clearly seeing it. Well, you can still see quite well the license plate number when you mount on the clear cover; however not at all times. For instance, when the sun is shining under certain angle and you are at certain angle, you cannot read the numbers on that particular license plate because there is a strong reflection. This might be what happened to one driver in Arizona, who was actually pulled over by a highway patrol because the state trooper could not read the license plate number. That driver got into troubles for installing the photoblocker cover over his license plate, not for speeding or any other traffic violation.

The conclusion is that photoblocker license plate cover might work in many (possibly most situations); however, it won't work in all situations. On the top of that, it can get you into troubles even when you are not breaking laws (by speeding or running red light) simply by being noticed by a police officer. I am not sure if you could be issued the ticket for having it installed on your vehicle, but to me it is not worth the risk to find out (the ticket issuance will depend on jurisdiction) because we all know that in most cases police can find something on you if they try really hard (and hard they often try).

Photoblocker spray

Photoblocker spray works on the same principle as photoblocker license cover, however it seems to be more effective and more inconspicuous. It is an aerosol spray in a can that contains millions of super small reflective particles that act as mirrors. It is sprayed on your license plate, and once dry it prevents the cameras to take a readable picture of your license number by reflecting the flash from the camera due to overexposure.

Unlike license plate cover, once the spray is applied, it is invisible to naked human eye; hence there is a lesser chance that you will get into troubles for using it. Sure, some overly active police officer with a flashlight might take an extra look at your plate and discover that it is shinier than he/she thinks it should be. However, as of today, there is no legislature that explicitly prohibits the use of photoblocker sprays. This situation can change tomorrow. Still, the cost of the spray at the present time is $29.99 and the can could be applied successfully for up to 4 license plates.

Another advantage of photoblocker spray is that it can be applied within a minute (or maximum a few minutes) by anybody. In other words, it is a cost and time effective solution to protect yourself from tickets based on camera pictures.

The disadvantage of the spray is that it doesn't stay on your license plate forever (if that is what you hoped for). Depending on the weather conditions and the geographical location, it should be reapplied every 2-4 months (average). You can test it yourself. Just use flash on your camera and try to take picture of your license plate. Also, it obviously doesn't work if the flash is not applied while the picture of your plate is being taken. Finally, it doesn't work in all lighting conditions.

My conclusion is than with this price and virtually no possible "side effects" (police harassing you), you cannot really go wrong with a photoblocker spray. Even if it works only 10% of the time, you still save money even if by avoiding just one ticket. More than 500,000 units sold speak for itself (if this number is not just a marketing strategy).