Bump : A New Social Network for License Plates

A new social networking tool is trying to turn your vehicle’s license plate into an all-in-one identifier that acts as an E-mail address, phone number, shopping rewards card and even an IP address.

Bump.com, the brainchild of entrepreneur Mitchell Thrower, uses license plate recognition technology to allow businesses and government services to connect with drivers and drivers to connect with each other. Thrower says it should be in a public beta by Thanksgiving, just in time for drivers stuck in holiday traffic to send messages to one another.

“The license plate has never given the consumer anything,” said Thrower, who calls the automobile the “last wall that separates us from a communications standpoint.”

That wall may be coming down, as drivers who “claim their plate” at Bump.com will soon be able to sign up for a roadside assistance and rewards program called Bump Advantage and might even get a targeted rewards coupon on their Bump-enabled smartphone when they pull into the mall parking lot.

“It works like a cookie,” said Thrower, except it uses the license plate as a physical marker for a camera that can read up to five plates per second at up to 150 miles per hour. That technology allows for automated check-ins at hotels and sporting events and easy rental car returns, but it also is helpful for marketers. “It can tie back the owner of the vehicle to their purchase patterns,” Thrower said.

Thrower said the technology might actually be able to cut down on road rage, allowing drivers to constructively communicate with each other. Software is used to filter obscenities, and if you’re the passive-aggressive type you can leave a negative rating for a driver that follows them around online. Thrower assures us the rating will never be seen by insurance companies, which is a promise we sure hope ends up in writing somewhere.

"It adds a layer of accountability,” said Thrower. “It’s like an eBay seller rating system for every driver in the country.”

Once it gains ground, Thrower said, the possibilities for Bump are nearly endless. Fleets and cab companies can use Bump to contact their drivers, meter maids can alert you when your car is about to get towed, car manufacturers can send important recall information directly to Bump accounts and eventually drivers will be able to renew their licenses and registrations through the service.

The concept sounds quite intriguing, though we hope that the same folks who post photos of themselves passed out at frat parties remember that there’s no clearing your cache when it comes to a car registration.