Thursday July 22, 2004 11:46am Reporter: John Harter

Oxon Hill, Md Have you ever been caught on camera speeding? If so, you got a hefty ticket in the mail. But now, some drivers are trying to cheat the system. One auto supply store in Oxon Hill, Maryland is doing a land office business in a spray that can keep you from getting traffic tickets. The store is doing so much business that the owner had to call his supplier for more cans of the spray. Here’s how it works: to make the license plates invisible to radar and red light cameras which record a violator's license plate so a ticket can be sent to the vehicle’s owner, you just spray three or four coats of aerosol on the plates. Each can retails for $30.00. ABC 7 News reporter John Harter spoke to driver Nick Johnson and he says, “if I don’t get no tickets, it’s worth it to me.”

Nick tells us he’s gotten a photo radar ticket and it cost right at $100.00 and he hopes with this spray that it doesn’t happen again. Another driver we spoke to says he came all the way from Bethesda to pick up a can of the spray. The Photo blocker and photo stopper sprays are also sold on line. Experts say they are ineffective against the new digital traffic cameras with no flash lights like the one used in Howard County.

Eastern Auto Supply owner Will Foreman says people are coming from all over the county, all over the state and even some people are calling from Florida trying to protect themselves from the intrusive red light cameras. Since 1990 more than $27 million in automated speed and red light running fines has been collected, thanks to the cameras.

Police say spraying a chemical on your plates is not legal. “You shouldn’t be altering them in any way, especially with the intention of avoiding detection after having violated the law. And we found that most of these sprays don’t work,” says D.C. Police Kevin Keegan. An electronic radar detector is $100.00, the license plate spray only $30.00. Many motorists think it is cheaper insurance against getting a photo radar ticket for speeding or for running a red light in the District.