As NYPD cracks down on illegal license plate covers, consumers say some don't even work
Some New Yorkers have turned to questionable methods to try to skirt tolls from speed cameras and congestion pricing, such as license plate blockers, which police say are illegal in New York and New Jersey, but some consumers who bought one such product say it was a waste of their money.
A company called Alite claims the film they're selling creates a reflective glare and prevents traffic cameras from capturing license plates. They offer individual characters to stick over plate numbers or strips of film for stenciling.
Their social media posts often feature New York or New Jersey plates, and claim the products are "100 percent legal."
On its website, however, Alite admits, "In states like ... New York, any cover on your license plate, even if it's clear, can be deemed illegal."
"Dude, it doesn't work"
One Queens man told CBS News New York investigative reporter Tim McNicholas he paid $56 for two strips of film from Alite back in September, hoping to avoid speeding tickets.
"We're trying to get away from the city's unfair practices," he said. "You really can't drive 25 anywhere in the city and expect to get anything done."
The customer added, "The way I see it is I don't see myself doing something illegal, either. If you look at my plates, you can see all the numbers are visible any time of the day."
Police never discovered the film on this man's plates, and he still got fined for a bus lane violation.
He's one of three New Yorkers that CBS News New York tracked down who said they bought and applied products from Alite, but cameras still picked up their plate.
"I know a bunch of people that asked me personally, 'Hey, should we get this, too?' Just off the top of my head, about four friends that asked me, and I said, 'Dude, it doesn't work. Just drive slow or don't drive at all,'" the customer said.
"There are some people who are gonna see this, and they're gonna say, well, serves you right to get those tickets... why don't you just drive safe? What would your response be?" McNicholas asked.
"My response to those people would be grow up, become an adult and gain some common sense and then drive a little bit on your own to see what 25 miles an hour does," the man said. "It'll increase the time that you need to get any tasks done ... and I understand it if they're doing it in school zones, right? I get that, that's safety. But they're doing it everywhere."
Alite would not agree to an interview and instead emailed CBS News New York saying its stickers are effective but the features of "some modern traffic cameras ... may still pick up plate details."
The email went on to say "in some cases, the strength of the infrared flash" from cameras "may not be sufficient to completely obscure the symbols" and nearby "headlights, streetlights, or sunlight ... could reduce the effectiveness of the reflection."
Alite claims to be based in London, but that customer says his order was shipped from Ukraine. He says he tried to get his money back, but no one from the company responded to him, and now feels he was scammed.
We also noticed the product name of a type of film made by another company printed on the back of those strips that Queens man bought.
That company told us they never intended their product to be used for that, and they don't condone it.
Drivers trying to block plates could face fines, NYPD says
Contrary to what Alite says to its tens of thousands of social media followers, police say the kind of film they sell is 100% illegal in New York and New Jersey.
"The biggest concern is the threat to public safety. If someone wanted to do harm to the city or the residence they're in, they're not gonna use a vehicle that is traceable to them, they're gonna use a ghost vehicle," NYPD Transportation Bureau Deputy Chief Thomas Alps said.
"We're actually looking at a lot of new technology, and using a lot of machine learning and artificial intelligence to try and combat some of these things," MTA Bridges and Tunnels President Cathy Sheridan said.
In other words, if you try to block your plate to avoid speeding tickets or congestion pricing tolls, you could face fines.
Police say they're also on the lookout for electronic covers, including those that mask or unmask plates with the click of a button.
During a recent enforcement operation, Sheridan told CBS News New York that officers might pull drivers over if nearby cameras or scanners don't capture their plates.
"It can even make those alerts automatically, so the officer in the car is getting real-time information through the technology they have in the vehicle," she said.
