Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Safety in numbers for speeding Chinese drivers

Speeding drivers in south China are getting clear away thanks to machines which switch the numbers on their license plates in seconds, state media said yesterday.

"More than 50 percent of cars caught on camera for speeding and other offences either cover up their plates or use a fake license plate," a traffic policeman in the Guangdong city of Yangjiang was quoted as saying.

"Our chances of capturing them is next to nil."

The price of the remote-control device starts at around 800 yuan (58 pounds), while a more advanced apparatus with the ability to flip over the numbers in less than three seconds costs more than double.

"The era of covering up the license plate by hand has passed," a driver surnamed Zheng said.

"It's really convenient and economical too", a salesman who specializes in such devices in the provincial capital of Guangzhou was quoted as saying.

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