DATE: Friday, June 27, 1997                 TAG: 9706260146

SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON   PAGE: 02   EDITION: FINAL 

COLUMN: THE ROAD WARRIOR 

SOURCE: Road Warrior 

                                            LENGTH:  112 lines

AUTUMN LEAF PLATES ARE GETTING MAKEOVER TO CORRECT PROBLEMS

If you're driving around town with the new ``autumn leaf'' Virginia license plate, don't be surprised if you receive a new set of plates in the next couple of months.

Here's an item reported this week by the Associated Press about the new design:

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Police complaints that the numbers and letters on Virginia's new ``autumn leaf'' license plates are illegible have prompted the Department of Motor Vehicles to cut off sales.

The DMV also plans to replace the 6,500 plates already sold.

Since the plate was introduced May 1, its splashes of red and orange have been criticized by law enforcement agencies for obscuring the license numbers and letters, said DMV spokeswoman Anne Atkins. The colorful splashes are the shape of leaves.

Atkins said DMV officials turned to the manufacturer, 3M Corp. of St. Paul, Minn., about the problem, and 3M agreed to find a way to lighten the colors.

Until the visibility problem is resolved, DMV will not distribute any of the leaf plates but will continue taking orders. Atkins said the plates probably will be available again in about six weeks.

Drivers who already have the plates will get new ones at no cost. DMV is still negotiating with 3M over the cost of replacement plates, and it hasn't been determined whether the state or 3M will pay for the substitutes.

The new plate is one of two winning designs in a DMV contest last year that brought more than 600 entries by middle school and high school students from across the state. A Winchester student designed the leaf plate.

The other new design, a ``patriot'' plate showing a fife player, also went on sale May 1. About 1,500 of those plates have been sold.

SNARLS OF THE WEEK

The following people called Road's INFOLINE number with their complaints.

Don Glickman, 55 Alive Mature Driving. Hey, Road. A suggestion for coping with aggressive drivers. Apply the FIDO prinicpal - Forget It, Drive On.

No. 2. How about a reminder for the seatbelt law changes that are coming up July 1. See you later.

RW: Glad to provide the gist of those changes, Don.

Here they are: The old law said that you could be ticketed for not properly securing a child under 4 in a child safety seat.

That law still stands. However, the new law, or definition, says that you also must properly secure any child at least 4 years old but less than 16 in an appropriate safety belt system anywhere in the vehicle. That's the gist of the biggest change in the seatbelt law. The translation is that the driver can be ticketed for any passenger in the vehicle up to age 16 not wearing a seat belt. Front seat passengers over 16 not wearing a seatbelt, get the ticket themselves. This information comes courtesy of the Virginia Beach Police Department.

Also, this is no law but, if you've paid any attention to the news lately, you never ever use a child safety seat in the front passenger seat of a vehicle with an airbag. This area has been determined to be particularly dangerous for children in car seats, small children and even small women.

The safest place in a vehicle for a child using a seatbelt or a child safety seat is in the middle of the back seat. Heck, it's probably the safest place for a small woman, too.

Charlene, no address given. This is about all the money they spend on ROUTE 44 and INTERSTATE 64 and all, digging up the road and trying to make it better. If they would just spend a tiny bit of money and put those reflectors on so when it rains or it's night time, you can see what lane you're in on the road, that that would be money would be well spent. I really hope they do it.

RW: Transportation officials say that the plan is to put new highly reflective stripes in to designate lanes. They feel certain that this new tape will improve lane visibility but, if by chance it doesn't, they will consider adding raised pavement markers.

Incidentally, the diamond grinding on Route 44, to smooth the road's surfaces, should be coming to close soon. After which the new stripes will be laid.

RAT, no address given. I was just thinking about the ROUTE 44/I-64 interchange where I-64 gets off on Route 44 at the flyover there. If the bridge were made into two lanes and merged all the way around, it might get the tie-up off of I-64 eastbound. Thought it might work. Seems like it could. Thanks.

RW: Here's the deal, RAT. Transportation folks say that it's better to have everyone follow one lane from the get-go rather than having to try and merge everyone into one lane at the bottom of the ramp. Years ago, that ramp was a two-lane exit, but it was always intended that when the HOV lanes opened, the ramp would have to go to one lane so that there would be one lane for the conventional flyover, one lane for the HOV flyover and two conventional lanes for folks already on Route 44, which is the set-up they have now.

So, while the bridge or ramp may be wide enough to fit two cars, when you get to the bottom there'd be gridlock. Granted, there are some back-ups on I-64 east because people wait until the last minute to get over to get off heading to Route 44 and I-264.

Terri, Kempsville. My concern is when coming onto the interstate and I'm accelerating. People coming off the interstate are pulling in front of me. Don't they realize they're slowing down and I'm accelerating? Thanks. It's just very frustrating.

RW: Of course they realize it, Terri. But, obviously, their need to cut in front of you is greater.

Mrs. Steadman, no address given. Can you address a problem on the interstate? When you're traveling westbound I-64 in the afternoon, those who are trying to exit onto Route 44 towards Virginia Beach are stopping on the interstate in the second and third lane because they cannot merge or they're cutting in at the final line. This is causing terrible backups. Thank you.

RW: Merging is a big problem around these parts. Road believes that merging problems are really a case of bad planning. Anyone with sense knows where they need to go and how far they have until they get there. Again, common sense says get over as soon as possible if traffic's heavy.

But, then there are some who believe that the road belongs to them and rather than wait behind folks already in line, they gun it thinking they can jump in the front of the line. Road can't help but inch closer to the car in front when some hot shot comes zooming up to cut in. Of course, inching up to keep people out is probably why the second and third lanes end up backing up. But, hey, someone's got to teach those roadsters a thing or two. Maybe if they get left hanging out in the open in the middle lane, they'll think twice about waiting to merge.

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