License plate laws

Ken asked why so many vehicles he sees locally don't have front license plates. He estimated that one in every 10 or 15 vehicles he sees on the road doesn't display one.

Some readers said the plate doesn't appear necessary. Jim wrote that the front-plate frame broke off his car eight years ago and no one has questioned his lack of a plate. Sally said her '96 Ford Ranger has no place for a plate on the front.

Jack has three theories for missing front plates: New vehicles don't need them for a grace period, some states don't require them, and some people leave the plate off to beat photo radar, which uses it for identification. Minuteman said it's easy to jury-rig a bracket, and J.C. added that you're just asking for a ticket without one.

I confirmed with Master Trooper Ron Watkins, a spokesman for the Colorado State Patrol, that two plates are required for every licensed vehicle, and any law enforcement officer in the state can write you up for not having one.

And no bracket is no excuse: Every manufacturer makes one for every car, Watkins said, or you can rig something up like Minuteman did.

Next question:

What is the word for the blobs of color and patterns you see when you close your eyes really tight? I've heard terms like light chaos and closed eye hallucination, but I remember there being a specific word for it. - Nicholas

If you see the light, post your response on the Ask! blog, blogs.Rocky MountainNews .com/denver/ask, or e-mail rudeenm@RockyMountain News.com.