modified vehicle crackdown in CALIFORNIA

[a4sport]

not just SD anymore folks..

http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/05/576.asp

[lostntainted]

It's "the Man" Trying To Keep Us Down!!!

[Paul]

if all it is is what we've been receiving here in SD over the last 5 years it's not a big deal. IF you're street racing and get caught, i am all for impounding/seizure of your car.

[Brk4Euros]

:) IMO they are just envious........

[lostntainted]

if all it is is what we've been receiving here in SD over the last 5 years it's not a big deal. IF you're street racing and get caught, i am all for impounding/seizure of your car.

yeah street racing is one thing, but pulling someone over for having an extra gauge is a bit too big brother :tdown:

[Brk4Euros]

"Police in Sacramento, California announced Wednesday that they would use $5 million in federal money to begin cracking down on auto enthusiasts who modify their vehicles. The money will be used to form an undercover "Drag-Net" unit to stop motorists who appear to be driving modified cars."

$5 Million!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :eek: Hmmmm...what else can Cali think of...

ingenious, I must say :tdown:

[joe18tbo112]

looks like they could pull you over for having stickers on the car and use that for means of inspection.

[Fritz]

..WTFE

[mike]

its just a law to have reason to bust kids doing street racing, I doubt any clean well modded Euros will get busted, just ricer with NOS that spit raw gas out of the tail pipe, Most of us on here (except Mel) have Q-ships for the mostpart devoid of abnoxious exhaust noise and underhood boobery, We'll be fine, If anything this will help us by pushing the performance aftermarket to get CA CARb approval on their products

[01 JTI]

and that $5 million can't go towards california's public education system?!?!?!? wtf...

[6Pack2Go]

they'll auction off seize car's and keep the profit WTF :confused: I thought they're trying to get it off the road?

[ncttrnl]

I like how they say they are looking to make a significant impact on street racing but talk about how great its been for revenues. To be honest, I would love to be able to do something like modify the car, drive to the smog inspection center, and pay extra if I miss my emissions level. The visual inspection thing makes very little sense to me especially now that they put your car on rollers and all that. If visual inspection weren't a requirement, it would be alot harder to ticket for illegal modifications just by eyeballing the engine compartment.

Oh well...

The auctioning your car off thing is if its been involved in street racing. If you are just stopped, you get a fix it or impounded if need be. Best advice on this is don't piss off the cop. They're usually pretty cool if you cooperate and if you do get a ticket it will be for a lesser offense/amount.

[jr_scheiBe]

"San Diego officers come to train other departments how to look out for what they believe to be tell-tale signs of illegal modification such as window tinting, large spoilers, extra gauges or racing stickers"

I remember when I moved down here two years ago. Got pulled over for the windows. I had a 22yr old cop feel me up cuz "I fit the profile", Japanese car with all the windows tinted. As she was at the waist she looked up and said "youre really tall, how tall are you?


Oh, btw, the state still thinks I own that car and is trying to fine me for not paying the reg on it yet.....HELLO, IT WAS TOTALED OVER 6 MONTHS AGO!!!:mad:

[deWolff]

Time to get an old diesel truck or rabbit and convert to gas with beau coup mods and no smog since its a registered diesel vehicle. Just a thought.

[ncttrnl]

I remember when I moved down here two years ago. Got pulled over for the windows. I had a 22yr old cop feel me up cuz "I fit the profile", Japanese car with all the windows tinted. As she was at the waist she looked up and said "youre really tall, how tall are you?

Why does that sound like the start of a porn movie to me?

[Troike]

So a "racing sticker" is now probable cause to be pulled over, and you must pay $35 minimum to have your car inspected, even if it is completely legit (or dare I say stock for the "factory modded" types)

:bs:

I'd love to get pulled over on that context, I could use some practice and earned reputation by challenging that crap in court and seeing it getting thrown out for being overly vague, discriminatory, and flat-out ridiculous.

[v2rocket]

i say the cops should put more money into busting drug trafficking, underage drinking, education, and things of that nature. this is california home of girls, surf, and hot rods not some anal prick cop who upholds the amazing laws of an old, cranky,"my children have never heard a 4 letter word in thier life," suburban mom, dad, grandpa, or grandma.

i wanna see a statistic that puts modded cars in comparison with drinking while driving, and none of this he was racing and drinking crap. was he driving and drinking? then thats drinking and driving, was he racing then he was racing if he was racing while drinking hes driving and drinking. tell me in one year which kills more, and which causes the state more money, now think of where it could go schools, the state itself, state workers (who by the way do not collect any pay from jury duty anymore and who wants to voluteer that crap?), the roads and freeways, public transport, things we could use.

the worst part is its left on the judgement of a pin headed cop with the most common lack of common sense and a high school jock syndrome with a dash of extreme moral dignity of "never have had done something illegal in thier life,"(lie) that hasnt gone away since he/she saw an episode of "Miami Vice" and took it a little bit too much to heart.

dont get it wrong they are good for keeping crime such as theft, and assault down but most of them think so black and white like the two tones of thier cars they wouldnt know the color gray if it slapped them in the face and went to town with an L.A.P.D March 3rd, 1991 beating.

edit: also leaving the excessive exhaust noise and other "tell tale signs of street racing" to be the judging factor for possible street racing is prejudice. next should we start imprisoning those who go hunting who come back from a trip carrying fire arms in thier car using the excuse the users had an intent to kill?

dont get me wrong there are always those few officers who really do care about the more important things in a neighborhood but those good officers are just a handful to few.

sorry if i've offended you with this anyone i apologize for it its just my opinion:(

[addicted2thevr6]

F that, thats pretty much it. government is really lame sometimes

[madajb]

edit: also leaving the excessive exhaust noise and other "tell tale signs of street racing" to be the judging factor for possible street racing is prejudice. (
Prejudiced against what?
People with bad taste?
=)
-ajb

[Tom (aka Godzilla)]

In practice, "excessive exaust noise" tickets are the most common violation.

Are they going to include Harley's in this sweep?!?!

[mike]

STATISTICS

# In 2001, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that police listed street racing as a factor in 135 fatal crashes. The total was up from 72 street-racing-related fatalities reported in 2000.

#Traffic fatalities in alcohol-related crashes rose slightly (by 0.4 percent) from 17,380 in 2000 to 17,448 in 2001.(1)

I think that $5 Million in fedral monies needs to be spend on drunk driving rather than writing expensive tickes and imounding cars......................

[DTolo]

Hands down this is bull! Mike thanks for putting up the statistics. As much as I want to fight it and argue it I can't say I have the highest hopes. THe National Hot Rod Association has been fighting this battle since the 1940's when it got reall big after WWII. Euro and import modding is steadily on an increase. They know if you can afford to pay for the expensive mods that you can pay for th eexpensive ticket. Its sounds to me like modded cars is becoming a commodity to the state, not a saftey issue. I would also liketo see stats comparing Modded cars to Motorcycle crashes. Granted there are some cops out there that can differentiate from a healthy enthusiats and a jack-ass with a coffee can on the end of his exhaust pipe. I don't know what else to say, this is seriously bull, and yes that 5 mill could def go some where way more constructive!

[Audi S4 Turbo]

gay

[mike]

NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) also shows that in 2001:

· Motorcycle fatalities increased for the fourth year in a row following years of steady improvement. With 3,181 killed in 2001, it was the highest number of motorcycle fatalities since 1990. For the first time since 1997, younger motorcyclists, that is, riders under the age of 40, posted the highest percentage increases in fatalities.

· The rate of alcohol-related deaths in 2001 remained unchanged at 0.63 per 100 million VMT–17,448 deaths.

· Fatalities in crashes involving large trucks dropped from 5,282 in 2000 to 5,082 in 2001.

· The number of pedestrians killed, 4,882, increased slightly from 4,763.

· Young drivers (16-20) were involved in slightly fewer fatal crashes, 7,598, in 2001 compared to 7,671 in 2000.

· Passenger vehicle occupant fatalities in single vehicle rollover crashes increased 2.3 percent to 8,400. Pickup trucks accounted for the largest percentage increase – 4.2 percent.

· The number of fatalities for children under five dropped significantly, an 8.6 percent decrease. There were 710 in 2000 compared to 649 in 2001. The number of fatalities for children ages five to 15 also dropped 8.6 percent from 2,121 in 2000 to 1,939 in 2001. The number of fatalities in both age groups is the lowest since FARS record-keeping began in 1975.

If that isn't bad enough, research in the medical field with 5 million

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 35 to 50 million Americans come down with the flu during each flu season.The CDC estimates that in the US more than 100,000 people are hospitalized and more than 20,000 people die from the flu and its complications every year.

This is funnier, odds (I'm no MIT grad but) of getting killed in a street racing incident, which street racing happens FAR more in populated areas than this, is:

Lightning-related fatality, injury, and damage reports in the US were summarized for 36 years since 1959, based on the NOAA publication Storm Data. There were 3239 deaths, 9818 injuries, and 19,814 property-damage reports from lightning during this period. On average, 90 people are killed every year in the U.S. by lightning.

[ncttrnl]

Are they going to include Harley's in this sweep?!?!

Sorry but no.

Loud pipes save lives. :D

You have a bike. You should know that.

I really don't like that they don't have to objectively measure how loud the exhaust is. Whenever its left to the officers discretion, there is the potential for abuse.

I also don't like that the different departments generate revenue with tickets and citations. I think it gives too much incentive to ticket people because ultimately the dept makes more money if you do. Whether that has an affect on officer pay or not, at some level, at some time. some poilitician or pointy haired boss type is going to use revenue generation as a misguided metric for success when really they should be looking at crime and accident statistics.

Oh well... best defense is still not to be an ass when they pull you over. I'd much rather get a fixit for no front plate because I cooperated then get my car inspected for a judge to issue me a fine.

[wikedgolf]

i have no front tint, and my plates are on. my intake has i visable carb sticker and im on stock wheels... they better have a daym good reason to pull me over... none of this sitting in traffice bull shit like they did before.. profilling a vehicle is illigal. plus once they learn i have almost 200k.. they just laugf

[Tom (aka Godzilla)]

Loud pipes save lives. :D

You have a bike. You should know that.



I've ridden quiet bikes and loud bikes. Loud pipes are just loud. An attentive rider saves lives.

[madajb]

I also don't like that the different departments generate revenue with tickets and citations. I think it gives too much incentive to ticket people because ultimately the dept makes more money if you do.
The town above me made such a practice of this(writing tickets for revenue, not tickets for "mods") that the state legislature passed a special law just for them that prohbited them from writing tickets(more or less).
=)
-ajb

[chris]

Cali is getting outta control :(

Funny how the article picture is of a "stock" STi though :rolleyes:

[TRBO337]

its just a law to have reason to bust kids doing street racing, I doubt any clean well modded Euros will get busted, just ricer with NOS that spit raw gas out of the tail pipe, Most of us on here (except Mel) have Q-ships for the mostpart devoid of abnoxious exhaust noise and underhood boobery, We'll be fine, If anything this will help us by pushing the performance aftermarket to get CA CARb approval on their products
that's where you're wrong...i got busted for modified emissions 'cuz my ABD CAI didn't have E.O. number on it...i still passed smog with it so there was no real reason for him to pull me over....i have a 337 which was modified from the factory and i explained that to the cop and all he said was "tell that to the judge"....so i fought the case and won...in court he tried to lie and say that i had modified exhaust, modified headers :liar: (and turbo cars don't even have headers) modified lights, and all this other B.S....good thing i went to court with all documents of how my car came the way it is...some cops are just plain A**holes that have nothing better to do than mess around with minority's that have nice cars...and California is funding this B.S. so that the cops have the right to stop and search any vehicle with rims or tint :bs: so yes we do have to worry about it, just because our cars are Euro doesn't mean sh**...cops will pull whom ever they feel street races...first they look at the car and say okay that car looks like a street racing car...then they judge the character of the driver...if they feel the driver looks like a racer, that's when they pull you over....it's not fair that they single out "racer looking cars" from everyone else such as muscle cars or lifted trucks with modified exhaust or all those damm bling bling cars with 5,000 t.v.'s in them :mad: :mad: :mad:

[EDM]

that's where you're wrong...i got busted for modified emissions 'cuz my ABD CAI didn't have E.O. number on it...i still passed smog with it so there was no real reason for him to pull me over....i have a 337 which was modified from the factory and i explained that to the cop and all he said was "tell that to the judge"....so i fought the case and won...:


I had the same thing happen to me when I had my GTI and won also. Except I had a Neuspeed P-Flo.