Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) is drawing attention to a growing concern on Manitoba’s roadways: peeling licence plates. Once the numbers or the reflective coating begin to peel off plates, they create safety concerns for all road users, including law enforcement. When plates are unreadable, dangerous driving behaviours can go unchecked, posing a risk to all Manitobans.
“Keeping your licence plate in good repair keeps our roadways safe, and helps you identify other vehicles if you are in a collision or need to report them to a necessary agency,” said Maria Campos, Vice President & Chief Customer and Product Officer at MPI.
Visibility is also an important consideration when it comes to Manitoba’s licence plates. The reflective coating on the plate helps to make parked cars more visible on roadways at night, so ensuring the coating is in good repair can help in preventing a possible collision with a parked vehicle.
The Drivers and Vehicles Act (DVA) states that licence plates must be unobstructed and maintained in a condition where all information is clearly visible. A driver could face a fine of $113 if caught with a poorly maintained plate.
MPI has a five-year warranty on new licence plates and will replace them at no cost to the customer if they begin to degrade during that time period. After five years, the customer is responsible for replacing their licence plates at a cost of $15 for a pair.
“We are aware of people trying to repair their own plates,” said Campos. “We have seen blue nail polish, paint, and even Sharpie pens used to try to draw the numbers and letters back on. While we appreciate the efforts to maintain the readability of the plate, these methods don’t work. The plates need to be replaced so they have the proper reflectivity and readability. Any Manitoba broker or MPI service centre can assist you with this.”
