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Q: I read that the California Highway Patrol wrote nearly 18,000 tickets last year for speeders driving in excess of 100 mph. I could be wrong due to my age, 81, but I remember hearing “way back when” that if a driver was doing more than 15 mph above the speed limit that they weren’t cited, but taken to jail. Is this law or practice no longer enforced? It seems to me that if the word got out about some jail time that there would be a lot less speeding. Just the inconvenience of getting out of jail and getting your car back would be punishment enough without having to go to court.
– Brian Watts, Orange
A: Speed alone won’t get an offender sent to the clink.
That is because that violation alone is an infraction, said Lt. Matt Gutierrez, based in the California Highway Patrol’s headquarters up in Sacramento.
But officers can consider other circumstances that can elevate a speeding infraction to a misdemeanor for driving recklessly, such as passing on the shoulder, driving too close to another driver, weaving and leaving the paved roadway. Then, the driver can get arrested and sent to jail. Vehicles can get impounded, too.
Most courts will demand that someone cited for going more than 100 mph, even without another allegation, head into a courtroom, Gutierrez said. If found to have gone that fast, one of the rewards is two points on a driving license, which isn’t going to go over well with an insurance company. Fines and any restriction or suspension of the driver’s license aren’t going to be met with glee by the driver, either.
As to the past, Brian, Honk has a lot of miles on him, but doesn’t recall such a restrictive law.
Q: Hi Honk: My 91-year-old mother no longer drives, but her driver’s license expires this September. Is there a way to get a state ID card (not a Real ID card) without a visit to a Department of Motor Vehicles office? She has mobility issues and cannot stand for very long. I searched the DMV website and could not get an answer. It wanted me to make an appointment at a DMV office. She can’t be the only person in this situation, so I hope you can find a way to do this without a visit to the DMV.
– Diane Morgan, Placentia
A: Usually, Diane, converting a driver’s license to an ID does require a visit to a DMV office. The process can be started at the agency’s website.
But …
“If someone is unable to visit a DMV office due to a physical or mental condition, they or a caregiver may call 1-800-777-0133 during business hours for assistance,” Ronald Ongtoaboc, a DMV spokesman, told Honk in an email. “In rare cases, with documentation from a medical provider, the DMV may help them obtain an ID card without visiting an office.”
Those 62 and older can get a free senior citizen ID card. It is good for eight years, and it can be renewed via mail for another eight.
HONKIN’ UPDATE: A couple of weeks ago, Honk, with the help of CHP Officer Andrew Betancourt, who is based at the weigh station just south of Orange County, mentioned that drivers in cars trying to avoid congestion by taking the roadway through a truck weigh station might get cited for going too fast or for going through when the station is closed.
After his chat with Honk, Officer Betancourt happened to be driving by the Anaheim Hills weigh stations and noticed there is a sign on the 91 Freeway that says, “NO AUTOS THRU WEIGH STATION.” A Vehicle Code provision, he said, makes ignoring that declaration a violation. Some weigh stations might not have such signs, but others apparently do.
To ask Honk questions, reach him at honk@ocregister.com. He only answers those that are published. To see Honk online: ocregister.com/tag/honk. Twitter: @OCRegisterHonk
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