**Pulled over during test drive**

[PaulAlex]

State: IL
Violation: 70.01(B)413-B
"Improper display of plates"
Ordinance Violation Notice
To Registered Owner/Lessee/Driver of vehicle noted below


I have an interesting and unique story that I have not encountered before.
To understand I must give you a little backstory. I am a Car Salesman at a major car retailer. We have dealer plates for our vehicles for test drives. The dealer plates are attached to essentially a rubber quick mounting piece that allows for the rubber piece to be pinched between the trunk so that the plate dangles from rear. Now, some vehicles have power trunk gates. These power trunk gates do not close when there is an object in the way from preventing the trunk to fully close properly. The dealer plate is attached to a rubber mounting piece that is fairly thick Id say around 1/2 inch thickness. Needless to say, the power trunks will not close at all since they detect something in the way (safety feature so your fingers don't get chopped off).

Since I cannot mount the plate on the trunk, I decide to put it behind the passenger rear headrest. Not the designated location but still very visible to any vehicle behind. About 3 minutes into the test drive, a cop pulls up behind us and turns on his lights and pulls my client over (I am in the back seat for instruction of the test drive route). The cop pulled us over for "improper display of plates". I explained to the officer that I was un-able to mount the plate on the trunk because this particular vehicle is equipped with a power lift gate and it does not close if it detects any sort of resistance. Long story short, the cop did not care and proceeded to write me a ticket even though I was not driving and was doing my job to the best of my ability given my resources avaliable. The ticket is $50 and I believe I can appear in court if I wanted too but the ticket says "after hearing fine will double, up to $250.00

Keep in mind that I am not the registered Owner/Lessee or driver of the vehicle.

I informed my employer of the situation after the test drive and my LGM is seeing if they will eat the cost of the ticket but I am unsure if they will accept the cost. I'm keen to hear any advice that you guys may be willing to share with me as this is quite the unusual situation. Thanks in advance!

 

[CdwJava]

Unfortunately, if you used the preview function on this site, it probably ate your post. Try it again without using the preview.

Don't forget to mention your state in your post, and, if you were cited, what were you cited for? (code section, if you have it)

 

[PaulAlex]

Full post (I used preview)

State: IL
Violation: 70.01(B)413-B
"Improper display of plates"
Ordinance Violation Notice
To Registered Owner/Lessee/Driver of vehicle noted below


I have an interesting and unique story that I have not encountered before.
To understand I must give you a little backstory. I am a Car Salesman at a major car retailer. We have dealer plates for our vehicles for test drives. The dealer plates are attached to essentially a rubber quick mounting piece that allows for the rubber piece to be pinched between the trunk so that the plate dangles from rear. Now, some vehicles have power trunk gates. These power trunk gates do not close when there is an object in the way from preventing the trunk to fully close properly. The dealer plate is attached to a rubber mounting piece that is fairly thick Id say around 1/2 inch thickness. Needless to say, the power trunks will not close at all since they detect something in the way (safety feature so your fingers don't get chopped off).

Since I cannot mount the plate on the trunk, I decide to put it behind the passenger rear headrest. Not the designated location but still very visible to any vehicle behind. About 3 minutes into the test drive, a cop pulls up behind us and turns on his lights and pulls my client over (I am in the back seat for instruction of the test drive route). The cop pulled us over for "improper display of plates". I explained to the officer that I was un-able to mount the plate on the trunk because this particular vehicle is equipped with a power lift gate and it does not close if it detects any sort of resistance. Long story short, the cop did not care and proceeded to write me a ticket even though I was not driving and was doing my job to the best of my ability given my resources avaliable. The ticket is $50 and I believe I can appear in court if I wanted too but the ticket says "after hearing fine will double, up to $250.00

Keep in mind that I am not the registered Owner/Lessee or driver of the vehicle.

I informed my employer of the situation after the test drive and my LGM is seeing if they will eat the cost of the ticket but I am unsure if they will accept the cost. I'm keen to hear any advice that you guys may be willing to share with me as this is quite the unusual situation.

Thanks in advance!

 

[CdwJava]

This looks like a local ordinance violation ... what town or city is this?

 

[HighwayMan]

Since I cannot mount the plate on the trunk...

Really? What happened to license plate mounting screws?? I've also seen magnetic mount plate holders that dealerships use.

...Not the designated location but still very visible to any vehicle behind.

Baloney. It is not visible easily and why you would think that's acceptable is beyond me.

...and was doing my job to the best of my ability...

Hardly.

I run into this occasionally and have no tolerance for car sales people who don't use their heads and think "anything goes" with a dealer plate.

The only legal issue here is whether you can be issued a traffic ticket when not driving. Other than that it seems you're totally in the wrong.

 

[HighwayMan]

This looks like a local ordinance violation ... what town or city is this?

It seems that the OP quoted the statute wrong or might be confused by something else on the ticket.

OP: Here is a Illinois car dealer bulletin which spells out the law for you:

https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/pdf_publications/vsd7001.pdf

You were cited for a violation of subsection B.

 

[HighwayMan]

Keep in mind that I am not the registered Owner/Lessee or driver of the vehicle.

Keep in mind that you are a designated representative of the owner and the vehicle was in your custody and control.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

I always like the "another salesperson borrowed my plate so we don't need one"
.

 

[justalayman]

While the ticket is technically proper, I don't know any place that does enforce the law so strictly as to require a plate be attached as the law describes on a dealership owned vehicle with a plate being used for a test drive. Even hanging it from the trunk may not fit the law as with many cars it would still technically be too high. The cops around here are generally not so strict they issue tickets as long as the plate is clearly visible.

I suspect it is that the placement did not allow the cop to see it easily, if at all. Given it was so far from proper placement and so may vehicles have tinted windows without even getting into the ambient light level which would make seeing it even more difficult if dark, in combination with having an "attitude" with the cop just pushed the cop further than he was willing to bend

btw; I don't believe your story about the trunk. Those things will clamp down damn hard on anything in the way but the fact is, the rubber piece would not likely have been an issue anyway. Trunks do not close so tightly there is no gap remaining. They close against hard rubber stoppers typically placed at the 4 corners of the lid but he seal is effected by a soft, pliable, conforming, tube shaped piece of foam/rubber that would simply conform to the straps on your plate holder. There is room for the rubber strap. For fun I'll go out and try it out on my car later today but I have little doubt it will close.

It sounds like you tried the bs story on the cop and he realized it was bs and wrote the ticket.

 

[HighwayMan]

I don't know any place that does enforce the law so strictly as to require a plate be attached as the law describes on a dealership owned vehicle with a plate being used for a test drive.

Well that would not necessarily be up to the "place" but the individual officer.

I would tend not to enforce this strictly, but if I saw this guy driving around with the plate mounted on the back of one of the front seats it would be a definite ticket.

Despite what the OP says, there is no way this could be easily visible to anyone except a rear seat passenger inside the car.

 

[justalayman]

Well that would not necessarily be up to the "place" but the individual officer.

I would tend not to enforce this strictly, but if I saw this guy driving around with the plate mounted on the back of one of the front seats it would be a definite ticket.

Despite what the OP says, there is no way this could be easily visible to anyone except a rear seat passenger inside the car.

If it was a front seat, absolutely agreed. I read it as a rear seat thiugh.

Passenger rear headrest.

I could be wrong and depending on the vehicle it may still not be viewable.

I think he pissed off the cop once they were stopped arguing it was plainly visible and all. Ya know, like he did here.

 

[HighwayMan]

If it was a front seat, absolutely agreed. I read it as a rear seat thiugh.

I took it as front seat but upon reflection you're probably correct.

 

[PaulAlex]

Clarification

I took it as front seat but upon reflection you're probably correct.

To clarify, I placed the plate behind the back seat passenger side headrest. Propped up not laying flat.
For those who mentioned earlier about using the magnets. Our dealership no longer uses magnetic plates because some cars have trunks made out of materials that magnets wont stick too. Additionally, the rubber around the magnets would wear and scratch the cars. Theres even been cases where the plate has flown off since it could not be stuck to the trunk of the car and we'd slap it on a quarter panel.

As for screwing in the plate, theres no option to do so since its mounted to a thick rubber backing.

 

[HighwayMan]

As for screwing in the plate, theres no option to do so since its mounted to a thick rubber backing.

Well UNmount it then. It's a license plate and it's designed to be attached to the vehicle in the same place that all license plates mount.

 

[justalayman]

well, it looks like you need to do something lest it is going to get very expensive doing what you do. Your choice though.