The Crackdown is here because of the Expired Paper License Plates Multiplied

The mayor of St. Charles, Missouri, invited constituents to send in photos of bad plates. He received more than 4,100 in a year — from a city of about 71,000 people. A Washington, D.C., council member wants to make it easier for officials to tow cars with expired tags. Texas will soon require dealerships to issue temporary tags.

Officials are moving to increase enforcement and change laws to correct the “breakdown in automotive law and order,” part of a broader trend making U.S. roads less safe. Officials say the crackdown is part of an effort to correct a “brokendown in law and Order”