Traffic Law

Count on higher fines for some traffic violations and more time for teens to get a driver’s license. These are just some of the legislative changes for California drivers this year.

With an increase in driving on California roads--up by 4 million registered vehicles the past 10 years--motorists face even more distractions and are more likely to encounter accidents, says the Automobile Club of Southern California. According to the Automobile Club, one out of every 56 licensed drivers in the state was involved in a fatal or injury collision in 1996 and there has been only one day without a traffic fatality in California since 1968: that was May 1, 1991.

Legislators hope that making a driver’s license harder to obtain--and easier to revoke--will result in better drivers. Some other states that have passed similar laws restricting teenage drivers have reported decreases in late-night accidents. In addition to the teenage license restrictions, the Department of Motor Vehicles’ driving test has become more difficult in recent years. “We’ve always considered a driver’s license a privilege, not a right,” said Arline Dillman, traffic safety manager for the Auto Club. “We’re not trying to make getting a license more difficult for the sake of it, but making safe drivers, which means strengthening standards.”

Many of the vehicle code changes involve small fee hikes such as an additional $1 for vehicle registration and $2 more for vehicle-transfer fees. Shown here are highlights of the bigger changes:

NEW: Teen-Age Drivers

Brady-Jared Teen Driver Safety Act of 1997

* New for ‘98: Effective July 1, a graduated licensing program for teenagers goes into effect, requiring teens to:

* Hold learner’s permit for six months instead of current 30 days before applying for a license. Permit can be obtained at age 15 1/2.

* Have 50 hours of driving practice supervised by a guardian, including 10 hours of night driving; now parents must certify that they have spent time practicing with their child. That will probably continue, DMV officials said, with the parent or guardian required to certify having supervised the 50 hours, plus 10 at night.

* Wait for six months after obtaining license before transporting other teenagers in a vehicle and for 12 months before driving between midnight and 5 a.m. unless accompanied by an adult over 25.

* Why the change?: The No. 1 cause of death to those under 25 is traffic accidents.

Under-19 Drivers In Los Angeles...

1996

9 Fatalities

Cause: 6 speeding, 1 DUI, 1 running stop sign, 1 crossing over double yellow line

1997

5 Fatalities

Cause: 4 speeding, 1 running into parked truck

Statewide. . . .

California Licensed Drivers

Adults: 96%

Teens: 4%

In Fatal and injury Collisions

Adults: 90%

Teens: 10%

Source: LAPD

Note: 1996 figures

NEW: Red-Light Violations

* New for ‘98: Fine for running a red light increases to $270 from $104.

* Why the change? In 1995, red-light infractions led to 238 deaths and 19,019 injuries in California--in Los Angeles alone, 4,040 accidents were caused by running red-lights.

Red-Light Traffic Collisions in Los Angeles

1996

Total collisions: 3,131

With fatalities: 19

With injuries: 2,586

No injuries: 526

1997

Total collisions: 2,529

With fatalities: 14

With injuries: 2,169

No injuries: 346

Source: LAPD

NEW: School Bus Flashing Lights

Thomas Edward Lanni School Bus Safety act of 1997

New for ‘98: Requires school bus drivers to operate warning lights and signs when approaching school bus stops, as well as when bus is stopped for loading and unloading pupils. Motorists must come to a complete stop when they see the lights of a bus flashing.

You Can Lose Your License

In California, there are a variety of ways to lose your driver’s license . . . and many of them are unrelated to driving:

* Ignoring a mailed notice of delinquent parking tickets

* Habitual truancy (if teenager)

* Failing to pay child support

* Conviction for vandalism, including violating graffiti laws

* Conviction for soliciting prostitution within 1,000 feet of a home when the act involves the use of a car

* Conviction for any drug crime

Did You Know...

* The city can sell your car if you don’t pay to remove the wheel-locking device.

* In 1996, a traffic collision was reported every 1 minute and 6 seconds, and one person was injured every minute and 45 seconds in a traffic collision.

* The fine for going around railroad gates in L.A. County is a minimum of $271, along with the possibility of imprisonment and/or license suspension.

* As many as a third of drivers in California fail the driver’s test the first time.

Traffic Safety Web Sites

California Department of Motor Vehicles: www.dmv.ca.gov/

California Office of Traffic Safety: www.sna.com/ots/

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: www.nhtsa.dot.gov/

Sources: 1997 Digest of Traffic Legislation”; Automobile Club of Southern California; CHP; DMV; LAPD Officer George Callandrillo. Researched by JULIE SHEER / Los Angeles Times