Highway Safety Action Alert Take Action!
 
Congress to determine the future safety of cars and trucks
 
Next month Congress will determine the future safety of cars
and trucks. Last year Congress failed to pass S.1072, a
multi-year, multi-billion dollar surface transportation
funding bill. S.1072 included a critically important safety
 agenda addressing all aspects of the highway and auto
safety problem -- provisions to prevent vehicle rollovers
and provide occupants better side impact and head protection
in crashes, truck safety improvements, programs to encourage
booster seat use and child safety, funds for impaired driving
and seat belt programs as well as other measures to bring down
 traffic deaths and injuries. This year passage of a surface
transportation funding bill is a top congressional priority,
however, there is strong industry opposition to including
these safety provisions in the transportation bill this year.

The safety provisions are at risk and we need your help.
The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee
 that will write the safety bill has new leaders this year.
 Please act now by sending a letter to these three Senators
 showing your support for passing the same safety measures
that were in last year's bill, S.1072.

Please act now and help our effort by sending a letter to:

Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK)
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510 or/
202.224.2354 (fax)
http://stevens.senate.gov/

Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510
202.224.6747 (fax)
http://inouye.senate.gov/

Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS)
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510
202.224.2262 (fax)
http://lott.senate.gov/

(Please note, if you are a resident of the Senator's
home state you can also send an email through the website)

Talking Points:
Every year nearly 43,000 people are killed and 3 million
more are injured in motor vehicle crashes at a cost of
$230 Billion. Some forecasts by the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA), indicate that this death toll
could exceed 50,000 by 2008 without safety interventions.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for
children, teens and adults to age 33.

Since 1991, more than 125,000 people have died in rollover
crashes. Rollover crashes account for less than 3 per cent
of all crashes but account for a third of all occupant
fatalities annually.

Federal legislation is needed to direct NHTSA to issue long
overdue safety standards including rollover prevention, side
impact crash protection, occupant ejection prevention,
vehicle-to-vehicle compatibility, 15-passenger van safety,
child safety measures and better consumer safety information.

Please send a copy of your letter, and address any questions
to, Jgillan@saferoads.org. For more information about the
safety provisions in S.1072 go to
http://www.saferoads.org/federal/2003/SenateCommerceBill_2003.htm
 

THESE ARE SOME OF THE CHANGES FROM DIFFERENT PLACES

 

City of Charleston Noise Ordinance Passes

An ordinance to amend Chapter 21 of the Code of the City of Charleston by amending Section 21-16 to prohibit persons from engaging in clamorous singing, yelling, shouting, whooping, bellowing, hollering, or other loud, obstreperous, wanton and unnecessary noises, or from riding, driving, propelling, or otherwise operating any motorized vehicle, including but not limited to cars, trucks, vans and motorcycles, in a manner which emits unnecessary and loud noise or long continued noise, either in the day time or at night which disturbs the peace and quiet of the City, whether in the public street or within enclosures, public or private, and further amending Section 21-16 to provide that operating a motorized vehicle by rapid throttle advancing (revving) of an internal combustion engine resulting in increased noise from the engine is prohibited.

 

Watch out Charleston.  It is now against the law to sing at the sunrise Easter services when outside, to cheer the Riverdogs, or shout to a friend on the street.  Mayor Joe knows best.

 

James Gregory

520 Folly Road #282

James Island SC 29412

762-7546

CA handlebar height modification  http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/03-04/bill/asm/ab_2801-2850/ab_2844_bill_20040823_chaptered.html 

 

While some of us were focused on several new motor vehicle laws enacted in California (effective January 1)  regarding higher fines for speed violations and carrying children in front seats (a major no-no) another major item was being put on the books affecting insurance.   I'm copying here from an article in the current edition of "Friction Zone".  

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In the past it has been easy to purchase a month's worth of insurance just in time to renew registration, and drop it the minute the new tags were affixed to the license plate.   There were enough people doing it that it motivated the rest of us to purchase Uninsured Motorist coverage as a means of self defense so we wouldn't be left holding the bag when one of these scofflaws hit us and caused damage.  With the passage of two new laws it will be easier to enforce the insurance requirement for drivers in California

 

Senate Bill 1500 makes it mandatory for all insurance companies to electronically report proof of insurance to the Department of Motor Vehicles.  This will provide the DMV with an up-to-the-minute database, which in turn will be used to enforce the state law requiring insurance to operate a vehicle on the road.   In the past, some (but not all) insurance companies have shared information with the DMV about who had a policy and when it was cancelled.  Now they have no choice.  If you are licensed to sell a vehicle insurance policy in California , you must report to the DMV.  The state is giving insurance companies until September to figure out how to get it done, but with Internet access, it won't be a huge problem to solve.

 

After September the DMV will be authorized to cancel any vehicle registration if an insurance company reports that the insurance has lapsed.  After September, a citation for no insurance will be accompanied by another citation for no registration as well.

 

How might this affect your pocketbook?  Citations on a driving record make insurance more expensive when you re-apply and the DMV will no doubt charge a fee to re-register your vehicle.

 

The second of the new insurance-enforcement laws giving CHP and other law enforcement agencies access to the DMV/Insurance database is Assembly Bill 2709.   This bill will let law enforcement verify proof of insurance during routine traffic stops.  This will also help eliminate insurance card forgeries and get uninsured drivers off the road.  

 

If you are caught without insurance, whatever you are driving can be impounded!!!!!!

 

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BTW the new motor vehicle laws in effect with the new year include:

 

AB 1878 requiring users of motorized 'scooters' to possess a valid California Class C drivers license or instruction permit.  Until this year no license was required for a scooter.

 

AB 1854 requires every vehicle (except motorcycles) be operated with headlamps lighted when weather conditions require the windshield wipers be in continuous use.

 

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And finally one more little tidbit 'in case you hadn't heard'.  The LAPD has just started using special cameras mounted on patrol cars and to a computer.  The cameras scan license plates (capability of thousands per hour in parking lots) checking each against a database of stolen vehicles.   At least that's going to be the initial use.  Theoretically (putting on my conspiracy hat) the camera/computer/database link will also report in real time back to the patrol car a vehicle registered to an unlicensed driver or someone with wants and warrants.