Picture: Twitter video screengrab
A video allegedly demonstrating how a crafty motorist used a hi-tech device to block their number plate has been doing the rounds.
According to a report from two years ago, such devices have been around for some time and retail for less than R2000; they can even be bought at flea markets. At the flip of a switch, a hood drops down to cover the plate.
Private investigator Warren Lamont of Intelligence Bureau SA was quoted on IOL as saying: “I caught a guy with one and he said that every time he goes through a gantry he uses it. He uses it to get away from the gantries and keep incognito.”
He warned that motorists who try this could face criminal charges of contravening the Road Traffic Act, defeating the ends of justice and possibly even having their vehicles impounded.
Johannesburg Metro Police spokeswoman Edna Mamonyane was quoted as saying motorists would be charged and could face a fine or imprisonment.
In the latest video, a Land Rover Freelander can be seen with its number plate “blinking off” shortly before passing under a gantry, and then appearing again shortly afterwards.
The people filming it are clearly amazed at what they’re seeing.
Take a look at the clip below:
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.
