Modified Vehicles In California subject to DRAG-NE

100R1 · August 21, 2005

Am I glad I don't live there!

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

Whats Next ?

Don't they already have the Photo enforced SNIFF, CLICK & TICKET deal with drive by emission enforcement ?

I can see it coming, sealed for life hoods. only accessable by the dealer with a master key.

5 million dollars in the right hands (not the governments) buys a lot of food to feed the needy.

bigdogs · August 21, 2005

They have been doing "roadside" inspection for years. I remember back in my days of street racing, some dumba$$ in a 68 Firebird comes comes up challanging me to a race (he didn't see the cop around the corner) so starts reving up it up (no mufflers, just turn downs right after the headers), big ol' slicks hanging out of the wheel wells, etc. and then proceeds to lay down a patch at the light. Well that caught Mr Officer's attention so he pulled him over at the AM/PM and started checking for violations. He got enough to have it impounded so junior had to get a ride home that night with some friends...

mcreyaufmiller · August 21, 2005

Seems to me that this just backs up my theory of having a sleeper.

mmmikkke · August 21, 2005

Am I glad I don't live there!

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

Whats Next ?

Don't they already have the Photo enforced SNIFF, CLICK & TICKET deal with drive by emission enforcement ?

I can see it coming, sealed for life hoods. only accessable by the dealer with a master key.

5 million dollars in the right hands (not the governments) buys a lot of food to feed the needy.

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Thanks for the heads-up, 100R1. I was not aware...

My days of loud exhausts are gone, but I feel sympathy for the young men (and women??) who want to customize their rides in that way.

chevy4x4trucks · August 21, 2005

well the tickets for large spoilers should be mandatory

allenmehrer · August 21, 2005

yeah, see the crap i have to deal with

August 21, 2005

Leave it to the CSSR. The California Soviet Socialist Republic.

This image will be replacing the bear on the California state flag.

highup1500hd · August 21, 2005

Don't get me wrong here, but don't most states regulate vehicle modifications? I know there are very few states that allow tinted windows in the front, no muffler, etc. I don't think CA is that different, except for the grant that allowed a group of cops to go after nothing but these infractions for a short period of time. There are not laws that keep people from modifying their vehicles. There are laws that limit it to point though. You can't go to high, you can't go too low, no tinting, no messing with smog equipment, etc. Don't most other states do this? The only state that I have lived in that would let me get away with any of this was AZ, there you could have the front windows tinted (it was almost a necessity being that it gets as hot as the surface of the sun).

mcreyaufmiller · August 21, 2005

In most states, you can tint the windows legally, you just have to know how to go about it. Same as with other modifications, you can do some legeally, just have to know the limits of the law and what you can do. Foe example, if you want a exhaust system, find out the limits and do not exceed them. If you have a rice burner, just save yourself the trouble and blow it up.

highup1500hd · August 21, 2005

In most states, you can tint the windows legally, you just have to know how to go about it. Same as with other modifications, you can do some legally, just have to know the limits of the law and what you can do. Foe example, if you want a exhaust system, find out the limits and do not exceed them. If you have a rice burner, just save yourself the trouble and blow it up.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That is what I was saying. Except for the window tint, CA is no different than most states with regards to modifications. Sacramento (note, not even all of CA) just got a grant to enforce the codes more heavily. The article talks about San Diego starting this off. I live in San Diego, and the only time I have heard of any of this being enforced was in regards to illegal street racing. We had quite a few deaths caused by street racers and this is one of the tools they used to try and stop them (they also opened up Qualcomm Stadium for legal drag racing). I just don't see this as Big Brother running amuck.

WhiteyZ71 · August 22, 2005

Just like most things of this nature, life isnt fair.....I feel bad for those that obey traffic laws that just want to modify their veicle, but then at the same time all the street racers drive modified cars, how is a cop supposed to tell the difference? Reminds me of all the racial crap we had here in Cincinnati after a white cop shot and killed a black man that was running and was believed to have a gun. They call it "profiling" and it is unfair to us that obey the laws, but they cops have to do their job somehow. I do know that around here, I hardly even get a look from a cop, but back in my younger, ignorant years of driving little imports I would get all kind of attention from cops, now I just drive by in my truck, the cop probably thinks i'm 40 years old or somehting

theTANTALIZER · August 22, 2005

What if you have a Vortech Supercharger that are CA legal?

highup1500hd · August 23, 2005

What if you have a Vortech Supercharger that are CA legal?

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You would be fine. The article talks about them enforcing the codes for illegal modifications. They are typically exhaust (lack of muffler) and smog equipment tampering. They also go after tinted windows, too low, too high, wrong color lights (those neon kits), etc.

From my experience these codes are usually enforced in response to certain events. Here in San Diego (also referred to in the article) they were in response to a rise in illegal street racing and a multitude of innocent people being killed by it. To try and control the street racers, they started going after their cars. It has worked pretty well too. That and providing legal avenues for drag racing (they have legal races at the stadium with emergency crews and security).

Amra · August 23, 2005

Communism is my opinion but California has many laws i cant stand and they are migrating here to missouri.

The whole problem the fines and the taking of their vehicles and auctioning them is that the cops get to keep the money. Unbelievable. I seen down in Texas where a similar program is in place only is on drug vehicles. If they find a hint of drugs or in some cases i seen on TV they find no drugs but still take the vehicle they take the vehicle and sell it at auction.

Now here is where the Communism takes place. The cops get a third of the money, the prosecuting attorneys office gets a third and the judges somehow get the last third put into an account for them to spend. This show was on 60 minutes i believe a few years ago--they said it had the most phone calls in its history after that show aired all from people mad as hell. Can you imagine going to court to defend yourself and the cop who impounded the vehicle is the witness(he gets money from the sale) the prosecuting attourny is prosecuting you (he gets money from the sale) and the judge of the court is deciding what to do with your vehicle (he gets money from the sale). I used to believe this could not happen in this country i cant believe it could happen but i see more and more of it everyday.

They news guys set up hidden cameras in a nice car and put a black lady in it--cop pulls her over and had like 10 reasons why like you were speeding and swerving all over(of course she was not and the tapes proved it)--the cop just wanted the car for the money and was just hoping that the black lady had some kind of drug on her.

Im not making this up--the show ran and i watched it. Now for the rediculous part(yes it gets worse) The police used thousands of dollars(cant remember but like 100k) to go to Vail Colorado for a week. When asked about it on camera they said it was for training. The news guy replied with "yeah you get alot of snow down here in Texas dont you".

And dont get me started on picture radar--one of the few crimes in America that you are automaticaly convicted of even if you did not commit the crime. As an example--if my brother uses my vehicle to go to the store and he gets a picture radar ticket i actually get the ticket--im not even at the crime scene when it happen and im guilty of a crime--ok some of you might say well the law says your responsible for your vehicle tho---and my reply is "Now lets say my brother is drunk as a skunk and runs 3 red lights and all give him the picture ticket and 5 minutes later he kill 4 people. I get 3 tickets for red light running but he gets a dwi ticket and manslaughter or murder--but wait a minute- he did it with my car--shouldnt i get the ticket and murder charges since it was my car. Its F---king crazy.

Im so pi--ed off talking about this crap--and yes i know that 1700 or so people die each year from red light runners---but i dont get blamed if someone takes my knife from my house and stabs 4 people but if he takes my car and runs a red light to do it get a ticket for a crime i did not commit.

Ok ive babbled enough--and flame on all you liberals or conservatives or whoever you are that beleive in this crap---ill just call you communist and you can hate me for it if you want but i stick by that statement---

By the way i could be wrong on a few points here--it might of been louisiana but this is how the story went down.

Also sorry about the spelling--ive been up 36 hours.

One last thing--I remember reading a post from a member on these boards and he was a cop in Texas--im sure you are gonna respond to this and be mad--all i can say is ive seen it time and time again on tv programs that these types of programs that let cops take items from people and keep the money from the auctions seems to end up with corruption in it. Again as an example i seen another show where a Known drug dealer just got out of prision and was found driving a nice care (BMW i think) and had $250k in the trunk--According to the show instead of spending money on trying to prosecute him for whatever reason they made a deal with him-if he gave them the car and money they would not prosecute him at all--he gave both. In this instance it was totally about the money and not the crime and thats where the problems start.

dannyukonxl · August 23, 2005

i really don't think anyone on this board has a problem with this unless the total cost of modifications done to their vehicle exceeds the cost of the vehicle itself