Pennsylvania’s new license plates honoring America’s 250th birthday include a small design detail that confuses automated plate readers, resulting in drivers receiving incorrect toll bills, writes Maggie Kent for 6abc.

According to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, certain automated plate-reading systems are having difficulty telling the redesigned zero apart from the number eight.

“This is an issue not only impacting us in the tolling industry, but agencies that use license plate recognition software in other ways,” said Crispin Havener, a communications specialist for the Turnpike Commission.

PennDOT, responsible for designing and issuing the new plate, issued a statement noting that the design complies with the transportation department’s production and legibility requirements and was created in consultation with both the PA State Police and the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

The slash through the zero was added to make it easier to distinguish between the zero and the letter O, which previously caused problems for both license plate readers and humans.

The Turnpike Commission is working on recalibrating and updating its systems to better recognize the redesigned character.

“Unfortunately, it’s not a snap of the finger and it’s fixed,” said Havener. “It’s something the machines have to learn and recognize over time.”

Read more about the toll issue caused by the design detail on the America 250 Pennsylvania license plates at 6abc.

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