License plate recognition technology is having issues distinguishing between the numbers zero and eight on Pennsylvania’s newly designed license plates, officials acknowledged on Wednesday. The issue appears to be due to the fact that the new zeros have a slash through them, which was done to distinguish between the number eight and the letter O, PennDOT told NBC10. “The addition of the slash through the zero was intended to help differentiate between the zero and the letter O, which both the license plate readers (LPR) and human eye have had difficulty differentiating on past registration plates,” PennDOT said in a statement. According to PennDOT, the change was done in consultation with Pennsylvania State Police and the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and “was also a best practice recommendation by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.” The agency said that license plate readers will “learn” over time and better identify zeros and eights. “We are aware that some LPRs may initially have difficulty differentiating between an eight and a zero; however, it is our understanding that the LPRs will ‘learn’ and better identify the zero with a slash as more of the new plates are read through the system,” PennDOT said. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission acknowledged the issue as well, but said they do not believe it to be widespread at the moment. “Our team is actively working with our ALPR software vendors to refine the system’s ability to accurately recognize the different plate characters,” the commission said in a statement. “This process isn’t an easy fix; instead, it requires time and continuous analysis to ensure the technology can learn and adapt effectively.” Anyone who believes they were given a ticket on the Turnpike incorrectly is urged to call 1-877-736-6727, the commission said. ...read more read less