Drag'nGT
10-23-2002, 12:07 PM
Assembly red lights risky drivers
State lawmakers vote to toughen penalties for drag racers, motorists who spin their vehicles
taken from:SACRAMENTO BUREAU
SACRAMENTO -- A measure arming police with new powers to curb deadly street racing and "sideshows" won overwhelming support Monday in the state Assembly, clearing its last major hurdle on the way to Gov. Gray Davis.
"This bill is directed at drivers who have no regard for the safety of East Bay residents or the community," said Sen. Don Perata, the Oakland Democrat who authored the bill.
"We will not allow them to continue to terrorize our streets," Perata said. "If you drive recklessly, you will lose your car."
The Assembly approved the bill on a 64-1 vote, sending it back to the Senate for consideration of amendments as the Legislature works toward the end of its annual legislative session Aug. 31. The upper house passed the original version of the Senate measure on a 38-0 vote in May.
The legislation, co-sponsored by Assemblywoman Wilma Chan, D-Oakland, would broaden the definition of reckless driving and allow officers to impound involved vehicles for up to 30 days at the owner's expense.
Under current law and in some circumstances, authorities can hold a car involved in reckless driving only until the owner pays a fine, supporters said.
As "urgent" legislation, the bill would take effect immediately upon the signature of the governor. A spokeswoman said Monday night that Davis has so far taken no position on the measure, though the bill's supporters expect him to view it favorably.
Perata and Chan sponsored SB1489 in the face of worsening problems with both illegal drag racing between cars along city streets and with so-called sideshows, in which cars boisterously caravan through neighborhoods in the early morning hours, stopping to wildly spin their cars.
Bill named for sideshow victim
The bill is named the U'Kendra K. Johnson Memorial Act, after a 22-year-old Oakland woman who was killed earlier this year when a suspected sideshow participant crashed into her car.
The latest trouble happened Sunday. A 19-year-old man was critically injured when a vehicle crashed into a pole during an apparent drag race in Oakland.
During a committee hearing on the legislation, Oakland Police Lt. David Koczicki, commander of the traffic operations section, told lawmakers that officers have been struggling with the problems for more than a decade, watching it maim and kill while spending millions of dollars in overtime.
Most of the drag races and watchers are not Oakland residents, however. Police say most come from Southern Alameda County -- including Fremont, Union City and Hayward -- and from San Francisco, the Peninsula and other Bay Area cities.
Many of the participants are in their early 20s and spread the word about the events via the Internet and cell phones.
While Perata's SB1489 increases the time police may keep vehicles driven in a reckless manner, it also requires authorities to return cars if the owner wasn't aware the vehicle was used for that purpose.
Provision addresses parents' rights
The provision was added at the insistence of Senate leader John Burton, D-San Francisco, to address the rights of parents whose cars are impounded when their children are arrested for participating in the illegal activities.
With some Central Valley and Southern California communities facing problems like those of the East Bay, a handful of other bills with similar provisions by other authors are making their way through the Legislature.
"This is a safety issue," said Perata. "We won't allow our communities to be ravaged by these irresponsible drivers."
State lawmakers vote to toughen penalties for drag racers, motorists who spin their vehicles
taken from:SACRAMENTO BUREAU
SACRAMENTO -- A measure arming police with new powers to curb deadly street racing and "sideshows" won overwhelming support Monday in the state Assembly, clearing its last major hurdle on the way to Gov. Gray Davis.
"This bill is directed at drivers who have no regard for the safety of East Bay residents or the community," said Sen. Don Perata, the Oakland Democrat who authored the bill.
"We will not allow them to continue to terrorize our streets," Perata said. "If you drive recklessly, you will lose your car."
The Assembly approved the bill on a 64-1 vote, sending it back to the Senate for consideration of amendments as the Legislature works toward the end of its annual legislative session Aug. 31. The upper house passed the original version of the Senate measure on a 38-0 vote in May.
The legislation, co-sponsored by Assemblywoman Wilma Chan, D-Oakland, would broaden the definition of reckless driving and allow officers to impound involved vehicles for up to 30 days at the owner's expense.
Under current law and in some circumstances, authorities can hold a car involved in reckless driving only until the owner pays a fine, supporters said.
As "urgent" legislation, the bill would take effect immediately upon the signature of the governor. A spokeswoman said Monday night that Davis has so far taken no position on the measure, though the bill's supporters expect him to view it favorably.
Perata and Chan sponsored SB1489 in the face of worsening problems with both illegal drag racing between cars along city streets and with so-called sideshows, in which cars boisterously caravan through neighborhoods in the early morning hours, stopping to wildly spin their cars.
Bill named for sideshow victim
The bill is named the U'Kendra K. Johnson Memorial Act, after a 22-year-old Oakland woman who was killed earlier this year when a suspected sideshow participant crashed into her car.
The latest trouble happened Sunday. A 19-year-old man was critically injured when a vehicle crashed into a pole during an apparent drag race in Oakland.
During a committee hearing on the legislation, Oakland Police Lt. David Koczicki, commander of the traffic operations section, told lawmakers that officers have been struggling with the problems for more than a decade, watching it maim and kill while spending millions of dollars in overtime.
Most of the drag races and watchers are not Oakland residents, however. Police say most come from Southern Alameda County -- including Fremont, Union City and Hayward -- and from San Francisco, the Peninsula and other Bay Area cities.
Many of the participants are in their early 20s and spread the word about the events via the Internet and cell phones.
While Perata's SB1489 increases the time police may keep vehicles driven in a reckless manner, it also requires authorities to return cars if the owner wasn't aware the vehicle was used for that purpose.
Provision addresses parents' rights
The provision was added at the insistence of Senate leader John Burton, D-San Francisco, to address the rights of parents whose cars are impounded when their children are arrested for participating in the illegal activities.
With some Central Valley and Southern California communities facing problems like those of the East Bay, a handful of other bills with similar provisions by other authors are making their way through the Legislature.
"This is a safety issue," said Perata. "We won't allow our communities to be ravaged by these irresponsible drivers."