iPLATEu is a patent-pending, toll-free communications platform for motorists. Its purpose: to minimize road rage and make driving a safer, friendlier interaction.

The license plate is by far the most popular, publicly-broadcasted unique identifier known to man. But outside of law enforcement circles, it's been of very little use to the general public, that is, until now. What the iPLATEu service does, is it uses those imaginary, meaningless characters found on the backs of our vehicles to make a very real connection.

The way the iPLATEu system works is quite simple. All that participants have to do is log on to the iPLATEu website and register their cell phone and license plate number(s) into the database. Now they're ready to receive plate calls. And making plate calls is a safe & easy hands-free experience. Just dial 888-iPLATEu and you'll be greeted with a voice menu system asking you to speak the license plate number of the motorist you'd like to connect with. The phone system then searches for the spoken license plate number in its database and intelligently connects your call.

The benefits of an anonymous contact system for motorists are limitless. Drivers can not only start up meaningful conversations with complete strangers during their morning commute, but they can also use this system for very practical applications such as asking any car around them for directions, coordinating parking space swaps in the city or even notifying someone that their parked car is being fiddled with. But the focus of iPLATEu remains its mission to reduce the dangerous effects of road rage by removing the need for any face-to-face confrontation after an incident. By giving drivers a much needed alternative to physical, potentially violent outbursts, iPLATEu keeps motorists at a safe distance apart yet allows them to express their emotions in a more constructive manner.

My desire was to take some stress out of our daily commute. If we can open up the lines of communication between motorists, the iPLATEu platform can combat road rage by acting as a tool for intervention.