The Reason Why Some Motorcyclists Flip Their Plates

Motorcycles provide riders with a sense of freedom on the open roads that often hearkens back to the days of the wild west. As a result, biker culture can often be rife with defiance of the rules of the road that can sometimes veer into the territory of being both dangerous and illegal. Such is the case when motorcycle riders decide to flip their license plates around.

Whether you're a biker yourself toying with the idea of flipping your license plate or merely a motorist curious as to why you've seen what appears to be blank plate covers on motorcycles on your travels, there's a lot you need to know about this dangerous and illegal practice and how it may impact you.

For starters, it's worth understanding why people do this in the first place. Ultimately, it comes down to a combination of maintaining anonymity on the road as well as avoiding the consequences of law enforcement for any defiant motorcycle riders who may want to skirt a few laws of the road here and there. Why do so many riders think flipping their plates around will suddenly make them invisible on the road and help them avoid a ticket? The answer is as simple as it sounds, although not as effective as it sounds.

There are two typical reasons why motorcycle riders decide to flip their plates. The first is to avoid having details as personal as one's license plate number revealed to the world. In the age of the Internet, people don't think twice about snapping a picture or video of a rider, complete with their license plate.

While it may sound paranoid, that can be more than enough information for online sleuths to discover a person's identity, which could lead to stalking, theft, and other harassment. So, a good way for a rider to avoid all of that worry entirely is to make it so their license plate is not visible to any would-be shutterbugs.

The second reason is a bit more nefarious. Simply put, many traffic cameras and other automated detection devices throughout the country rely on images of a vehicle's license plate to track down the owner and issue fines and other punishments. In San Diego, for example, The Mission Legal Center notes the SR 125 Toll Road uses cameras to capture the license plates of vehicles without an auto-pay transponder. That's how violation notices are sent in the mail. If the camera can't capture a plate, though, it can't charge the rider for tolls.

It can also technically make it harder for police to identify a bike they're after, but that will probably create a lot more problems than it's worth.

Covering or obstructing your license plate with the intention of avoiding legal consequences is, of course, illegal. While each state has different rules regarding punishment and requirements for license plates, by and large, trying to avoid tolls and police will land someone with a massive fine at best, and some jail time at worst. It's also potentially a way to attract unwanted attention rather than avoid it.

For example, in New York City, police can pull a vehicle over simply if an officer notices the plates are not visible. According to SILive, the penalty for doing this intentionally is a fine of no less than $50 but no more than $300. So, motorcyclists who flip their license plates may end up attracting the exact kind of law enforcement attention they were hoping to avoid by doing it in the first place. That's not including potential consequences for being caught avoiding tolls or running from the police — which is not only illegal but also very dangerous to the rider and the other drivers on the road.

Accidents happen on the road all the time, that's why people have insurance. However, if a motorcycle with a flipped plate causes damage to your vehicle or injury to your person, it may be a clear indication that they plan to avoid the consequences. Kidwell & Gallagher, a Nevada-based personal injury attorneys' office, suggests getting the police involved with a 9-1-1 call immediately if you find yourself in this situation. A rider may be willing to give up their license plate number and insurance information, but there's no guarantee it's not fake, and they may be confrontational in avoiding providing this information altogether if they've taken the step of flipping their plate.

The firm suggests that it's best to simply let law enforcement handle the situation or at least be aware of it should the motorcyclist decide to flee the scene of the accident.