The front-platers.

Anyone who drives around here has seen them.

They’re the ones who plug up the parking lots at Beltzville on summer weekends.

They’re the ones who stop half-heartedly, smack in the middle of an intersection — if they stop at all.

Locals often drop the moniker on these displaced drivers, maybe out of disdain or disgust.

But if a Southeast Pennsylvania lawmaker has her way, motorists from across the state could become part of that group.

State Sen. Katie Muth, a Democrat who represents Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties, said recently she planned to introduce a bill that would “require all registered vehicles in the Commonwealth to display a license plate on both the front and rear of their vehicle.”

Muth contends the new law would improve vehicle identification and public safety.

That would be especially true, she believes, involving hit-and-run incidents, traffic incidents or crimes committed where only the front of a vehicle is captured by cameras or witnesses.

In addition, she said, front plates would improve toll collections.

Though there’s been nothing formally presented to the Legislature, news of Muth’s proposal was about as popular as a breakdown on a hot day in a traffic jam.

Media reports lit up with negativity.

Car owners weren’t happy with the prospect of spoiling the shiny, sleek lines of their ride.

They don’t want to drill holes in their front bumper to attach a plate. They don’t want to spend a few bucks to buy an aftermarket holder that would make the process easier.

And, heaven forbid, in the land of high gas taxes and potholes, they weren’t going to pay extra for an additional plate.

“Fix the potholes!” many said, adding that only then — when roadways were as smooth as silk — they’d add a front plate.

Simply put, the two-plate proposal boils down to a battle between vanity and visibility, and compliance and cost.

Those who back the two-plate system say it doubles the chances of identifying a vehicle involved in a hit-and-run incident.

Some say it helps catch cars used in crimes, especially in these days of doorbell cams and Flock systems like the ones police use in many areas of the commonwealth.

One of the biggest benefits, many contend, is that the front plate would put the lid on toll scofflaws along the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

As the nation’s first toll road switches to the pay-as-you-go style of open road tolling, proponents say the front-facing plate could go far in helping to reduce losses. In 2024 alone, the pike posted about $105 million in lost cash, the equivalent of about 11 million toll trips that went unpaid, mostly due to drivers without E-Z Pass.

Sometimes, intentionally or not, rear plates are obscured to even the keenest of cameras. And the Toll-by-Plate invoices sent to motorists get tossed or are just plain never paid.

Realistically, many of our neighbors require the added aluminum plaques on vehicles registered in their states.

Today, 29 states require front and rear plates, including New York, New Jersey and Maryland.

Here in Pennsylvania, only state-owned vehicles and ones used by press photographers need the extra metal.

Ohio ended the practice recently, and in Utah, there’s a movement to do the same. In Florida, on the other hand, there’s pending legislation to bolt a new plate on a front bumper.

The two-plate idea isn’t exactly new to Pennsylvania. It was around in the early days of the last century, when automobiles were a novelty and the roads were wagon paths. It was suspended during wartime in the 1940s when materials weren’t available, then returned until 1952 when the plates were pulled permanently because of a steel shortage during the Korean War.

Back then — before today’s technology even became an idea — state police supported the two-plate approach, believing it was easier to find stolen or improperly licensed cars.

Muth’s proposal — if it comes to pass — might give law enforcement a new chance to do just that. But there’s a lot of work yet to come. Cosponsors need to come along for the ride. Paths through committees need to be mapped.

There are costs to discuss, not to mention enforcement issues.

It’s going to take a while for it to navigate the roundabout of Harrisburg politics.

Though it’s still early, front plates on Pennsylvania vehicles are worth a look when it comes to public safety, cracking down on crime and recovering lost income.

And not just something to lose in a rearview mirror.

ED SOCHA | tneditor@tnonline.com

The foregoing opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.