Ontario government admits new licence plates have a visibility issue

The province is backtracking on claims that the new license plates are ‘perfectly fine’.

Yesterday Consumer Services Minister Lisa Thompson defended the plates saying they were tested rigorously before their release. Now the Ontario government has asked 3M Canada to investigate numerous reports that the new plates are difficult to read in the dark.

Over the weekend, an off duty officer tweeted a photo of an unreadable plate in a well-lit parking lot at night.

Ok, this was taken off duty in a relatively well lit parking lot with my headlights on. Did anyone consult with police before designing and manufacturing the new Ontario licence plates? They’re virtuallly unreadable at night. pic.twitter.com/CoLxnp3iTQ

— Sgt Steve Koopman (@SgtKoopman) February 16, 2020

The Premier’s office says Ford has personally spoken to the President of 3M seeking an immediate solution to the issues.

3M issued a statement saying it is actively providing solutions to the Ontario government to address the readability issue as quickly as possible.