Jan. 2019 new laws--watch your pocketbook (Sacramento: house, school, dangerous)

[cb73]

Now I know where our new governor is going to get the money to fund all his pet projects. Drive carefully, all.

Special reminder: California's new traffic fine rules were released on January 1, 2019:

Forgot to carry your driver's license for $214. Forgot to change the address (more than ten days) $214. Uninsured car in accident for $796 ‘and’ driver's license revoked for 4 years. Did not stop at red light or turning right at No Turn on Red $533. Crossing double yellow line for $425. Violation of the turn or U-turn $284. Speeding 1-15 miles $224 16-25 miles $338, usually the police determined that speeding is over 5 miles. On rainy day it is not allowed to exceed 65 miles.

Stop sign but did not stop $284. Pass the flashing light of school bus $675. Talking on cell phone first time $76, second time $190, same penalty even if you are just holding the cell phone in your hand! Stop at a bus stop $976. Not wearing a seat belt $160. Driving with high beam light (from 30 points) for $382. Child did not wear a seat belt or not in a child seat $436. Covering car door $178. Driving with headphones on $178. Modified Exhaust $1000 each stop.

[janellen]

What exactly is "Covering car door $178"??????

[cb73]

Originally Posted by janellen

What exactly is "Covering car door $178"??????

I did a bill search and didn't find it. The Legislature passed 358 bills that affected vehicles last session, so it's probably buried in one of them.

[Mr5150]

All these penalties seem reasonable. The $$$ are meant to discourage stupid or dangerous behaviors. If all of these infractions carried a $10 fine, who would give a crap. Not having a child in a car seat is a serious matter. As is using a cell phone while driving and I’ve seen people holding a cell phone while talking at it.

[Axxlrod]

The ridiculous part is that all these amounts will end up being doubled by the time all the "court fees" and other BS fees are tacked on.

[Mr5150]

Originally Posted by Axxlrod

The ridiculous part is that all these amounts will end up being doubled by the time all the "court fees" and other BS fees are tacked on.

Well then, you know what is an infraction. Don’t text while not wearing a seatbelt as you drive and if you like a loud exhaust, move to Texas. So what if your child is not in a car seat!

[cb73]

Originally Posted by Mr5150

All these penalties seem reasonable. The $$$ are meant to discourage stupid or dangerous behaviors. If all of these infractions carried a $10 fine, who would give a crap. Not having a child in a car seat is a serious matter. As is using a cell phone while driving and I’ve seen people holding a cell phone while talking at it.

On a couple of occasions I can recall rushing out of the house to get somewhere and leaving my purse behind. If pulled over, I knew my drivers license number by heart, so I don't actually see the "stupid and dangerous behavior" in that. It happens. In my case they were both rushing to see what had happened to my son--once in school, the other time at a friend's house.

Change of addresses can and do get lost in the mail, misplaced, applied to the wrong record. Changes done online can occasionally glitch and not update. And there's no way for the person who submitted the change to know that. I totally understand that it's to push those who never update their address, but this is going to end up coming down on people who did make the effort to do it and have to pay anyway.

[Axxlrod]

Just another money grab from Sacramento.

[AndyChrono]

Originally Posted by cb73

On a couple of occasions I can recall rushing out of the house to get somewhere and leaving my purse behind. If pulled over, I knew my drivers license number by heart, so I don't actually see the "stupid and dangerous behavior" in that. It happens. In my case they were both rushing to see what had happened to my son--once in school, the other time at a friend's house.

Change of addresses can and do get lost in the mail, misplaced, applied to the wrong record. Changes done online can occasionally glitch and not update. And there's no way for the person who submitted the change to know that. I totally understand that it's to push those who never update their address, but this is going to end up coming down on people who did make the effort to do it and have to pay anyway.

Those are the only two things out of your original list of over a dozen that would not be "dangerous". If you want to lower the fines for those, then sure. But things like cell phones while driving, not stopping on reds/stops, illegal turns, etc. etc. should frankly all have much higher fines.

[Mr5150]

Originally Posted by cb73

On a couple of occasions I can recall rushing out of the house to get somewhere and leaving my purse behind. If pulled over, I knew my drivers license number by heart, so I don't actually see the "stupid and dangerous behavior" in that. It happens. In my case they were both rushing to see what had happened to my son--once in school, the other time at a friend's house.

Change of addresses can and do get lost in the mail, misplaced, applied to the wrong record. Changes done online can occasionally glitch and not update. And there's no way for the person who submitted the change to know that. I totally understand that it's to push those who never update their address, but this is going to end up coming down on people who did make the effort to do it and have to pay anyway.

I can’t imagine someone rushing out of the house and forgetting their purse. Where do you keep your car keys? My wife has left her phone at home a few times a year, but she would not get far without her purse since her keys and wallet are in her purse. My wallet stays in my pants back pocket 24/7.