Milford chronicle., 1958-07-25
New Tag Adopted
For State Autos
fcontinued from page one

(continued from page one)
r. A. Haber, Chief Engineer of
the State Highway Department,
states that the Traffic Division of
that Department has made exten
sive tests with the new tags, under
both night and day conditions, and
the refiectorized tag provides
more visible plate for all purposes
than the present black and white
tags In use by the state.
In discussing the advantages to
be attained through the use of the
new tag, Mr.. Haber .ited that at
present all road sigps are in yell
low, green, red or white and that
a motorist seeing a spot of blue in
front of him will readily know
that it is a motor vehicle, since the
refiectOrized background is visible
at night, for quite a distance along
the highways.
Officials of the Delaware State
Police have witnessed a number of
tests made with the new tag and
have given it their enthusiastic
approval.
Another change that is made in
the new tags is that the tag is
made from aluminium instead of
steel. which is the substance used
in the present tags.
This will be the second time that
Delaware became the first State to
make an innovation in the use OF
motor vehicle tags. In 1850 Deia-
ware became the first state to use
refectOrized numerals on the
registration tags and since that
time the system has been adopted
by other states.
At their meeting last November,
the Commissioners of the State
Highway Department noted that
the motor vehicle registration tags
for a number of states contained
slogans, or were prepared with the
colors of the state and it was de-
cided to have a study made for a
possible change in the Delaware
tags without any interference with
the existing system of permanent
registration.
The Traffic Division of the De-
partment then began a study of the
possibilities of making changes
that would increase visibility be-
cause of the increase in speed con-
ditions and tho Decessi.y for tim
ing on the paril OF the operator.
These tests REVEALED that certain
types OF the present tags in Iss did
not provide the hsaded Visibility
and then begar a serie2af studies
and tests that finally led to the
completion Of tie aluminium tag
with a rehectorized background
and refectorized numerals and the
colors blue and gold were selected
In keeping with the ste<e c0lors.
Several completed new types of
tag were submitted vt the last
meeting of the Department Com
missioners and one was hpraediate-
ly adopted for use in tbs state.
The permanent reg,zsfAtion sys-
tenn, long In use by this state, will
be continued with the use of the
new tags and space is provided for
inserting the numerals pretaining
to expiration of the registration as
In the present tags.
A new type tag, bearing the num-
eral ~, was presented to Cover
nor J. Caleb Boggs by j. Gordon
Smith, Chairman of the State
Highway Department, and Mr.. R.
A. Hal er. at a recent ceremony
New tags are also being presented
to other state officials.
II is not planned to have a gen.
eral change in the registration
tags all at once but instead as pres
ent tags are called in, or new tags
applied for, the new type tag will
be issued.
Holders of present type tags, de-
string TO procure the new type tag
for safety or Identification reasons,
will be able to purchase them from
the Motor Vehicle Department, at
a fee to be determined later, in the
near future when the new tags
will be available for general dis
tribution.
Delaware has amassSd quite
record in the field of adopting in
n0vations for handling motor We
hicles. Many years age the system
of issuing titles for motor vehicles
was established in this state and
then later the permanent registra-
tion tag came into use initially
here while just a few years ago
the refiectorizeS numerals was
placed In use by Delaware for the
first time
However. officials of the State
Highway DepS-:nent. Motor We
hicle Department and State Police
are OF the opinion that the intro
duction OF this pew tag, with re-
fiectorized background as well as
numerals, IN view OF present day
traffic conditions. will result in be-
ing one of the best traffic and
Safety improvements introduced by
this state.
~ "a x1nnnrc..n - -.