Crime & Safety

Early Dream Cruisers Ticketed for Driving With Historical License Plates

Historical Vehicle Association urges law enforcement agencies to treat the month of August as an event, permitting cars with special plates to cruise before Aug. 20.

As the Woodward Dream Cruise nears, but some say they are not feeling the love.

Carmel Roberts, executive director of the Historical Vehicle Association, says members of her group are grumbling about being ticketed for joyriding on Woodward with historical license plates prior to the official Dream Cruise parade.

According to Deputy Chief Gordon Young of the , to obtain the historical license plate a vehicle must be 28 model years or older and owned solely as a collector's item. As such, the vehicles may only be driven to historical club activities, parades and car shows. The Dream Cruise on Aug. 20 qualifies as a parade, the days leading up to it do not.

Cruisers are given the message "get moving or you'll get a ticket" when they are driving on Woodward before the official Dream Cruise date, Roberts said.

The Historical Vehicle Association, which is based in Traverse City, would like to see the entire month of August interpreted as an event. Roberts points to a state Senate resolution, sponsored by Sen. Mike Kowall, R-White Lake, that commemorates August as Automotive Heritage Month. Roberts referred to Kowall an unapologetic gearhead and said her group would like the language of his resolution to be reviewed by the Secretary of State Ruth Johnson and applied to state law.

"We realize law enforcement has a job to do, but we are challenging them to keep an open mind," Roberts said.

Ticketing drivers with historical plates "is not a top priority of the police" Young said. "However, we do have strict enforcement of squealing tires – having the plate is a secondary issue."

Robert said squealing tires is part of the car culture.

"Woodward Avenue is like the Valhalla, it's their Mecca," she said, adding that car enthusiasts are just "celebrating what made Detroit great."

"You don't buy a thoroughbred to stick him in the stable," she said.

Huntington Woods Public Safety Lt. Ron Livingston said squealing tires is a civil infraction. "It's very dangerous," he said, adding that drivers will be ticketed for throwing bleach on the road or curb to cause burnouts.

Law enforcement along Woodward is united.

"Here's the deal: Whatever the law is, people have to comply," Berkley Public Safety Deputy Director Robert North said. "That doesn't change just because it's the Dream Cruise."

All parties agree the priority is for the event to be safe and fun.

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Roberts believes issues about historical plates easily could be resolved, and the goal should be to send a positive message to car buffs that if you come "you are going to feel the love."


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