The Sauk Centre Herald

AUTOMOBILE TAGS REDUCE THIEFS AND ACCIDENTS
Registration Has Two Purposes Besides Raising Funds for Road Improvements

It has frequently been stated that good roads save car owners three or four times as much money every year as they pay for their auto licenses. But the number plates which the law requires on every car have two other purposes, according to a State Highway bulletin. The article may be interesting to car owners in Stearns county who must pay their annual fee between now and Feb. 15, if they have not already applied for their plates.

The two objects, besides building good roads, are to identify cars involved in accidents and to discourage theft. No doubt reckless drivers would be far more reckless if their cars did not carry the visible numbers. The plates are therefore a very effective accident preventive.

Occasionally a car owner is blamed for an accident when the fact is that one or both of his plates have been stolen. If either one or both plates are missing, it is well to notify the police and also get duplicates from the Secretary of State promptly. This will relieve you of suspicion or embarrassment in case the missing plates are on a car which gets into an accident.

The number plates with the certificate which the car owner receives, are intended to discourage theft by making it difficult for the thief to dispose of a stolen car. The protection will be effective only if every buyer of a used car will see that the numbers on the plates and the certificate correspond, and that the serial and engine numbers on the machine correspond with those on the certificate. Any person finding altered numbers will be protecting himself against the possibility of buying a stolen car if he will ask the police to check up the car. He may also be aiding in the apprehension of a thief and the recovery of a stolen car.

When cars are stolen, the numbers are quickly sent to the police of several cities. Thieves know this, and therefore often provide themselves with other number plates. If they steal two from one car, the owner will very likely notify the police promptly, but if they take one from each of two cars, the owners are likely to think the plates have fallen off and take their time about getting duplicates. The thief reasons that he takes less chance with two different tags than with a pair taken from one car.

Prompt notice of missing plates will help to discourage theft of cars.

It is also suggested that if law-abiding people will notify the police or the State Highway department when they learn of a car being operated with plates issued for another car, they will be aiding in the collection of taxes justly due the state and they may also be aiding in the apprehension of a car thief. Such action will also help in identifying persons involved in accidents.

Without state registration, theft insurance would probably cost more than the present cost of the license and insurance combined.