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LEO FORUM LIBRARY: CA Vehicle Code, Laws, Links & Resources

JPM

JPM

New member
Joined
Aug 13, 2005
Location
Ca.
Moto(s)
1100, 650, and 1300
Since all these questions have been asked regarding vehicle Code laws I thought I would share a couple links to sites that have the codes so you can do a little research on your own. I know they have been posted in one thread or another, but this way there will be here together and easy to find.

The first is a site that has all the California codes. Just check the box for the code you want and search away. This site has more information on all the codes that most anyone will want to know. It’s good if you know the code sections (Number) but not very good with word searches. It will just give you a lot of links you have to look through to find the relevant section.

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.html

The second is right from the California DMV site but only covers the vehicle code. Is has an alphabetical index and is word search friendly.

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/vc/vc.htm

UPDATED

The WHOLE Penal Code online.

http://law.onecle.com/california/penal/

California Code of Regulations (CCR's)

http://government.westlaw.com/linkedslice/default.asp?SP=CCR-1000

Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)

http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/index.htm

California Air Resources Board (CARB)

http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/aftermkt/aftermkt.htm#ca

Questions about Mopeds/pocket bikes, ect:
http://www.chp.ca.gov/community/pamphlets.html


Are my turn signals legal?: http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3962267&postcount=20


Have fun reading!


Added resources:
CA State Firearms Laws: http://ag.ca.gov/firearms/
Index of CA county & city ordinances: http://www.igs.berkeley.edu/library/calcodes.html
CHP's "Street Legal" brochure: http://www.chp.ca.gov/community/streetlegal.html
Timberwolf's List of CA Codes pertaining to vehicle lighting

Weapons Laws:
CALIFORNIA KNIFE LAWS
KNIFE LAWS IN ALL 50 STATES
CALIFORNIA FIREARMS LAWS
GUN LAWS IN ALL 50 STATES
 
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Re: Vehicle code laws and resources.

The Vehicle Code is your friend. :teeth

ADDED:
(Credit to Bronto for this add..)
You can get the same information News stations uses for traffic reports.
CHP Traffic incident information.
http://cad.chp.ca.gov/

To see Bay Area reports.
Set options Area (Bay Area) and Searches (Hot Spots).
For a list of codes used on CHP CAD (California Highway Patrol Computer Aided Dispatch), go to Post #2 at: http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=230970

>>> Information on fighting traffic tickets can be found on-line and in the Nolo Press book, "Fight your Ticket." I see one here for $5, used. Here is the newest (2007) edition. You may be able to shop around and find it cheaper.
 
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Vehicle Code definitions.

I though I would post some of the vehicle code definitions that confuse some people. Most people don't know that you can not make a u-turn in a business district unless it's at an intersection. So what is a business district?

235. A "business district" is that portion of a highway and the property contiguous thereto (a) upon one side of which highway, for a distance of 600 feet, 50 percent or more of the contiguous property fronting thereon is occupied by buildings in use for business, or (b) upon both sides of which highway, collectively, for a distance of 300 feet, 50 percent or more of the contiguous property fronting thereon is so occupied. A business district may be longer than the distances specified in this section if the above ratio of buildings in use for business to the length of the highway exists.
 
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Street, Roadway, Freeway, Highway.

Another thing people get confused is a Freeway, Highway, Street, and Roadway.

Street:

590. "Street" is a way or place of whatever nature, publicly maintained and open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel. Street includes highway.

Roadway:

530. A "roadway" is that portion of a highway improved, designed, or ordinarily used for vehicular travel.

(Roadway and Street have pretty much the same meaning).

Freeway:

332. "Freeway" is a highway in respect to which the owners of abutting lands have no right or easement of access to or from their abutting lands or in respect to which such owners have only limited or restricted right or easement of access.

In plain English, if the only way to access the roadway is by using on and off ramps, there are no cross streets or signal lights / stop signs, its a freeway. (i80, I680, I880, Ect).


Traffic:

620. The term "traffic" includes pedestrians, ridden animals, vehicles, street cars, and other conveyances, either singly or together, while using any highway for purposes of travel.

Sidewalk:

550. "Sidewalk" is that portion of a highway, other than the roadway, set apart by curbs, barriers, markings or other delineation for pedestrian travel.

Highway:

360. "Highway" is a way or place of whatever nature, publicly maintained and open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel. Highway includes street.

People often misunderstand the term "Highway". It refers to any land that is publicly maintained for traffic. This includes Freeways, streets, roadways, sidewalks, medians, shoulders, grass strips on the right side of the roadway, Ect.

Vehicle

670. A "vehicle" is a device by which any person or property may be propelled, moved, or drawn upon a highway, excepting a device moved exclusively by human power or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks.

Bicycle

231. A bicycle is a device upon which any person may ride, propelled exclusively by human power through a belt, chain, or gears, and having one or more wheels. Persons riding bicycles are subject to the provisions of this code specified in Sections 21200 and 21200.5.

Pedestrian

467. (a) A "pedestrian" is any person who is afoot or who is using any of the following:

(1) A means of conveyance propelled by human power other than a bicycle.

(2) An electric personal assistive mobility.

(b) "Pedestrian" includes any person who is operating a self-propelled wheelchair, motorized tricycle, or motorized quadricycle and, by reason of physical disability, is otherwise unable to move about as a pedestrian, as specified in subdivision (a).

(c) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2008, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2008, deletes or extends that date.
 
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Please feel free to post LINKS to additional resources for locating laws, bills, codes, ordianances, regulations, fines and interpretation of laws/codes, science or tactics used by law enforcement.

Unrelated posts in this thread will be deleted. :thumbup
 
Legal Update on Plate Mounting

In a case of first impression (meaning that no court had ever decided the issue), an appellate court in San Diego ruled that having one's license plate upside-down DOES violate Vehicle Code 5201.

The court wrote in relelvant sections:

The statute imposes three requirements -- that the plate be securely fastened to prevent swinging, that it be clearly visible, and that it be clearly legible. In denying Duncan's motion to suppress, the trial court ruled that an upside down license plate is not clearly legible. We agree.

The words "clearly legible" are unambiguous. "Clearly" means "without
equivocation; decidedly[.]" (Random House Unabridged Dict. (2d ed. 1993) p. 384.) "Clearly suggests without doubt or obscurity[.]" (Ibid.) The term has also been defined as "free from obscurity . . . unmistakable . . . unhampered by restriction or limitation." (People v. White (2001) 93 Cal.App.4th 1022, 1026, quoting Webster's 9th New Collegiate Dict. (1987) p. 247.) "Legible" is defined as "capable of being read or deciphered, esp. with ease . . . easily readable." (Random House Unabridged Dict. (2d 7 ed. 1993) p. 1099.) It is evident that the Legislature, in using the phrase "clearly legible," intended for the information on a license plate to be read with ease and without doubt or
mistake. Therefore, we conclude it would be a violation of the statute to mount the license plate upside down, which would make the plate more difficult or confusing to read. As the trial court noted, "There are people who can read things upside down, but you have to look at it for quite a while." The court properly found that Duncan's license plate violated section 5201.

This is clearly what is known as a "verdict driven decision". That is to say, the justices knew the outcome they wanted but just had to find a way to get there. The driver was found to have meth in the car. They justification the court gave: A 1993 EDITION OF RANDOM HOUSE DICTIONARY!!!

Clearly the justices have never heard of the OED.

Keep in mind that this judgment is not binding on courts in other jurisdictions but they can certainly use the judgment to "give them direction."

Scotty

ps
full text can be found at:http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions...ts/D050458.PDF
 
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Great Safety and LEO-related LINKS from the LEO Mods

Motorcycle Safety Video from CHP reposted from the General Forum for those of you that don't venture elsewhere... :cool
http://www.chp.ca.gov/html/motorcycle_v.html
Worth watching and sending other riders to see.

A great video from Baltimore PD. "Cop-for-a-Day"
http://www.baltimorepolice.org/join-the-team/media-center/cop-for-a-day

The classic Chris Rock video.. "How not to get your ass kicked by the PO-lice!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj0mtxXEGE8

PDF Medical card you can print and carry when you ride:
http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=268808&d=1217699129
 
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1 quick question ? Can my 5 year old kid ride with me on a motorcycle??? Pls. give me an answer... he wants to ride with me so bad!!!
 
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patrickangelo said:
1 quick question ? Can my 5 year old kid ride with me on a motorcycle??? Pls. give me an answer... he wants to ride with me so bad!!!
Click to expand...

This is not a question thread, it’s for posting resource information. Please post questions in a new thread or better yet, try a search because your question probably has already been asked and answered.


http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=161913&highlight=kids

http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=223622&highlight=kids

Please delete your previous post after reading the above threads, Thanks.:thumbup
 
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