Have you ever had a car stolen? It’s a huge hassle, not to mention the fact that getting your car back can cost you a ton. Why don’t we just raise the stakes for people who steal cars? In Europe, car thefts were stopped cold with a digital technology that is being used now in multiple countries. They use highly sophisticated roadside cameras that scan license plates to determine if it’s a stolen cars. They take a digital image of every vehicle plate as it goes by. Then, even if a plate is smudged, artificial intelligence determines if the car is stolen, and officers are immediately notified. This can happen even at freeway speed. In Great Britain, 13,000 arrests occurred in just one year. So, now some states in the U.S. are trying it out. Los Angeles and San Fernando police departments are experimenting with the cameras, as are communities in Ohio and Florida. The cameras cost $20,000 to $30,000 a piece. But the average cost of a recovered vehicle is $25,000. There are a few downsides to this, however. Specifically, car thieves often switch tags. So, an officer who thinks you’re a car thief could be following you if the thief switched his tag with yours. Just be sure you know your tag numbers and you should be fine.