As a growing number of sneaky motorists are finding ways to conceal their license plates from toll cameras, so Pennsylvania Turnpike is turning to other drivers to catch them, writes Scott Calvert for The Wall Street Journal.

Cheating the system has become easier thanks to mechanical devices that can hide a car’s tag at the push of a button. Such gizmos are sold online for a few hundred dollars.

Other drivers are choosing an even cheaper option, jury-rigging their plates using face masks or duct tape.

This is costing government agencies millions, which has prompted officials to push for a crackdown on these offenses, such as increasing fines.

To catch the offenders, the Pennsylvania Turnpike has now also reached out to other motorists and asked them to use the tip line to report violators.

In December, a video was submitted of a gray Jeep SUV with a device that hides the tag at tolling points.

As a result, the jeep was put on the regional “hot lists” for license-plate readers in Pennsylvania and surrounding states, said a Pennsylvania Turnpike spokeswoman.

Read more about how the Pennsylvania Turnpike is turning to other drivers to catch them to crack down on concealed license plates in The Wall Street Journal.

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Editor’s Note: This post first appeared on VISTA Today in March 2024.