Tinted windows lead to tickets

Scott Nicol, manager of Pit Pros in DeKalb, changes a filter on a black Toyota Camry Wednesday afternoon. The car’s owner said her front license plate has been in her glove compartment since she purchased the car two years ago, even though she has gotten a ticket for not installing the plate. Sycamore Police Chief Don Thomas said he has noticed an increase in the number of people driving without a front license plate, a violation carrying a $75 fine. Chronicle photo KATE WEBER

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Think an ugly license plate would mess up the look of your car's front bumper? Then get ready to pay a fine, according to Sycamore Police Chief Don Thomas. Illinois law says all cars must have license plates at both the front and rear. &#8220Every car has a place for it,” Thomas said. &#8220Some fancy cars just have little plugs where the screws should go.” Thomas said his officers are seeing more and more people leaving the front plate off their cars. He said some drivers are too lazy to put it on, while others don't like the way it looks. Anna, a DeKalb resident who declined to give her last name, said she knows she should have a front plate on her black Toyota Camry. &#8220I didn't want to put holes in it when I first got it, and then I never got around to it,” she said. In the two years she's had the car, Anna said, she has been ticketed once for the missing plate, but still didn't want to put screws in her car's bumper. &#8220A lot of it is the manufacturer's fault because they don't want to put a license plate bracket on it,” said Pit Pros manager Scott Nicol, who was changing Anna's oil. Thomas said front plates are required so police can check out a car's registration. &#8220We want to be able to identify if the car is registered when we're coming toward you,” he said. &#8220If we can't find registration, that's a red flag that something may be wrong with that vehicle.” Thomas said another common violation is a tinted front window. While some states allow vehicle windows to be tinted, in Illinois, it's legal only in the back seat. &#8220There are two reasons for that,” Thomas said. &#8220One, when you're at a stop sign or intersection, it's good to be able to see the person next to you and make eye contact. Two, law enforcement likes to be able to see the inside of the car before we approach.” Thomas said police officers never know what they may find when they approach a stopped car, but if the windows are tinted they have even less warning if the driver is dangerous. &#8220Some officers get harmed by drivers who are wanted or don't have a license or don't want to be caught,” he said. &#8220We like to be able to see who's driving.” Matt, a Yorkville resident who also declined to give his last name, said he isn't buying it. He said he has had tinted front windows on his silver Ford ZX2 since he bought the car in 1999. &#8220They say it's an officer safety issue, but in all the times I've been pulled over, never one time has an officer come up (with backup), never once has he had his hand on his gun,” he said. Matt has had plenty of chances to observe the officers - he said he has been stopped for the tinted windows 15 times and has been ticketed twice, for $75 each. But he said he has no intention of following the law anytime soon. &#8220It's just a big joke,” Matt said. &#8220It's the state extortion fee.” Thomas said violations like these may seem like &#8220chicken” offenses, but he said officers often find more serious offenses once they have drivers pulled over. &#8220It's a small indication of a bad attitude,” Thomas said. &#8220Many times, drivers who commit these offenses are also wanted or suspended. ... It lends itself to further investigation.” Thomas said most drivers will get a warning the first time they are pulled over for such violations, but that's no guarantee. Being stopped a second time on the same offense will probably earn the driver a $75 ticket. &#8220Those are the laws in Illinois, and people are ignoring them,” he said. &#8220We would like people to voluntarily comply, but if we stop you a second time, you will get a ticket.” Dana Herra can be reached at dherra@daily-chronicle. com.