Stepped up bike safety enforcememt in the OC

If you have no id and you are ticketed they can legally take you id to be Id'ed. Some department will take a thumb print(so if you in the database your will be found), other have mobile ID units. Just don't lie it will make things much worse.

 

Yea, it's ALL about the $$$. If you think about it for just a millisecond the CHP could eradicate DUI if they would just put a half ass effort into lobbying for MUCH stricter laws, and really cracking down on DUI drivers; but since the CHP is all about the $$$ perhaps they should be re-named CHR (Calif. Highway Robbery).
I have a few Peace Officer friends and they tell me about the competitions between each other and differing departments for # of tickets and revenue. One guy had the all time record for the number of tickets in a single day, no one could beat him (even when they worked through lunch) he finally admitted that if it was a red light ticket, he would cheat- yea the driver was in the right by a couple of feet but he would still write them up.
Our tax dollars hard at work taking more of our dollars.
DOnt get me wrong, I respect the Police for the job they do, but I can't and won't respect revenue generation in any form of so-called police work. Shame on them!

 

Bottom line is, Bicyclists must follow the same rules as a motor vehicle!!!! Read the DMV handbook, it's all there!!

 

No Whining

Here's a few meaningful excerpts from the article:

...."The goal of the program," said Newport Chief of Police Jay Johnson, "is to educate the public about the safe and lawful use of bicycles, as well as the safe and lawful use of vehicles that share the roadways with bicycles."

To those who criticize the crackdown, I say grow up.

Cyclists should stop doing dumb stuff. And drivers should learn how to drive.

With more traffic congestion on our city streets and more people turning to bicycles as a transportation alternative," Johnson said, "we need to make sure that all road users understand the rules, laws and safe behavior."

How will police do that?

"Extra officers," Johnson explained, "will be on duty patrolling areas frequented by bicyclists and vehicles." He also said, "Prevention is a key component of the program."

Translation: Tickets.

Some drivers may complain that cyclists shouldn't be on the road and that cars are king. And some cyclists may complain that they are being harassed and they shouldn't be cited for rolling through stop signs.

But we've been hearing that kind of whining for the past five years – while burying more than 80 cyclists.

Johnson's ready for something different, something that reminds me of a friend's green shirt with a red circle and slash mark over the word "whining."

The Newport Beach police chief also made an extra effort to point out officers will enforce the law equally for both cyclists and drivers:
"Officers will be addressing traffic violations made by all vehicle operators, bicyclists, and other vehicle drivers that lead to bicycle vs. vehicle collisions, injuries and fatalities."

Whether you're a driver or a cyclist – and most cyclists are both – let's applaud the effort....

 

Ticketing drivers is a sure way to get them to love & accept roadies.

 

At least it will get thier attention.

 

After riding to the Pass on Refugio Road from Solvang, about 19 miles up & back. An equestrian event was closing down and Refugio Road was jammed with trucks/trailors. After nearly being clipped I decided to ride on the other side against the flow of traffic. Was obeying a law worth my personal safety?

 

Each person has to make their own judgement call. If you are still alive to receive your ticket, I guess that's a good thing, right???

 

Well said!

 

Im glad they're doing it although this weekend might be a bust w/ the impending "storm". While they're at it they should just hang out on Glenwood/Pacific Park by Milf Park and ticket some of the fellow dirt riders for not following traffic laws as they ride to and from the trails.

I just find it ironic that SOME of the mountain bikers that will not ride road; because they dont want to put their life in the hands of someone behind the wheel of a car do a lot of dumb things whilst on the road.

I've seen some peddling against traffic trying to time the cars going the other way to pass so they can cross, riding on the sidewalk, not stopping at lights, and worse is when they are leaving the trail after dusk and ride the roads without any sort of lights to make them visible to others on the road.

 

8 tickets were issued to the club from Bike Religion. Failure to come to a complete stop. Costa Mesa last Saturday.

 

I really don't have a huge problem with this, but I wish they would be fair and just sit on a street and ticket EVERYONE in a car that is talking / texting etc...hundreds in a day.

Also running red / stale lights I see several a day!! just plains clothes it you could write a continuous stream of tickets.

 

In the interest of being literal, the sign shown in the article
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/johnson-288300-cyclists-beach.html
means cyclists should not be greedy, share the road, i.e. the shoulder lane.

From my few times driving Santiago Canyon I don't remember any bike lane markers painted on the lane, either "BIKE LANE" or bike icons. Do they exist?

 

Plain clothes or unmarked cars can't give traffic citations.

 

http://www.ocregister.com/news/miranda-290062-least-collision.html

 

Actually, in the State of California they can. Traffic enforcement just can't be their primary function.

 

Thats odd I have got out of 2 tickets based on the fact they were in unmarked cars.

 

Many people think that unmarked cars can't issue traffic sitations, but they can. It's been case law since 2008. Chances are that your tickets were from before then or you had a judge or commissioner that didn't know the law...a win for you.

I am not trying to hijack this thread, just wouldn't want someone to blow a light in front of an unmarked car and think they were in the clear.

 

Year ago a buddy and I got stopped by an umarked car in Palm Springs and they gave us a ticket for speeding. It was a Pontiac Grand Am with the two little light on the dash, that is it.

 

Re unmarked cars...I did not know that...but a Camera can......of course people are going to be on their best behavior when a B&W is sitting there. Maybe it to keep impostors from stopping folks...

But back to my original...in HB / Costa Mesa / NB I see an endless stream of Red Light Runners...