According to comprehensive news from Worldway: Just as everyone will have their own ID card upon reaching legal age, when a car finds its owner, it will also have a license plate. So, when exactly did automobile license plates come into existence? What criteria are used to design license plates in different countries? What are those background patterns on American license plates and the "strange symbols" on Japanese license plates?
Q1: Where did automobile license plates come from?
A1: As the "automobile ID", license plates certainly did not pop out of a stone like the Monkey King, but the determination of their origin has never been sufficiently evidenced. The more mainstream version is that in 1892, Paris, France, enacted the Paris Police Regulations, which required all automobiles to be registered, and the plates needed to include a series of privacy-related information such as the owner's name and address. However, the Netherlands once protested, claiming that the "protagonist" of this story should be themselves, not France.
Additionally, there is a more "romantic" theory of the birth of license plates: 15 years after the world's first recognized automobile was born (in 1886), a businessman named Rudolf Hertz placed a plate with "IA1" on his beloved car. "IA" stands for his wife's name, and "1" represents his devotion. This version is more easily accepted because it allows people to believe in love again.
Moreover, Germany, which has the longest-preserved license plates, also attempted to claim the title of the origin of the first automobile license plate. In China, the first automobile license plate was purchased by wealthy businessman Zhou Xiangyun in Shanghai. However, the covetous eyes of others kept this Chinese automobile "head plate" locked in Zhou Xiangyun's garage from the moment of its birth.
Q2: How are automobile license plates issued in the United States? Do states with a high number of vehicles have regulations like "lottery limits"?
A2: As a country that embodies both "automobile power" and "automobile strength", the issuance of American license plates is quite mature. License plates can be said to be linked to insurance; if a vehicle is not used for a long time, the owner can choose to cancel the insurance and return the license plate, and when needed, reapply for the license plate after inspection.
Due to the federal system, each state has the right to issue and revise its own license plates, and the insurance and license plate tax rates vary from state to state. However, there are no states that have regulations like "lottery limits" that are characteristic of China.
Q3: What are all those lively things on American license plates?
A3: Unlike China's "blue sky and white clouds", the United States has the most "lively" automobile license plate designs in the world. This small plate, 6 inches wide and 12 inches long (approximately 15.2 cm wide and 30.4 cm long, which appears more square compared to China's standard of 14 cm wide and 44 cm long), carries a lot of key or "quirky" information. Although the designs can be overwhelming, the rules for license plates vary by state, but they can generally be summarized into four aspects: state name (usually at the top of the plate, the most standardized item in the "license plate family"), license plate number, personalized slogan, and background pattern. Additionally, a small tag may occasionally "perch" on the corners of the plate, indicating the vehicle's registration expiration date.
Q4: Are the numbers on the license plates random? What if I want a flashy number with five "6s"?
A4: The numbers on standard license plates are randomly selected by a computer, but owners are also allowed to choose their own license plate numbers and letters.
A Pennsylvania car owner once chose the license plate "343-NYC" to commemorate the 343 firefighters from New York City who lost their lives in the "9/11" terrorist attacks. The chosen numbers and letters must be approved, and the content must be appropriate. As for whether there is an additional fee, wake up and be prepared to open your wallet!
Q5: What are those background patterns on the license plates? They seem cute.
A5: Seeing the background patterns on the license plates is like seeing the various states of America saying "hello" to you; this form of implicit advertising is clearly more appealing than what was done in "Transformers 4". The first to utilize this "free advertising space" was Idaho, which printed its potatoes on the license plates. Since then, the trend of license plate printing has taken off, and the Sunshine State—Florida—has also depicted its "state fruit", the orange, on its automobile license plates.
Q6: Is this an advertisement? Why are there promotional slogans? Can I write "New drivers, beware of dodging"?
A6: The promotional slogan at the bottom of the license plate is not an advertisement for a car club; it actually serves a similar purpose to the background pattern.
Some states have relaxed the scope of license plate slogans, turning this originally "straightforward" slogan into a "billboard" for car owners to express their personal emotions. However, like the selection of special license plate numbers, the content of the slogans needs to be confirmed by relevant authorities and should not be too long, indicating that the United States also has concerns about deliberately obscuring license plates.
American old saying goes, "Words reflect the person." The formation of an object or culture often represents the thoughts of an entire group. American automobile license plates, like the character of Americans, emphasize the development of individual freedom and personality, allowing them to doodle their thoughts on what appears to be a serious automobile license plate. From another perspective, every free expression actually undergoes corresponding review, which is what qualifies as true freedom.
Edited by Worldway
