No To The Ton In Cali
While California is arguably the best motorcycling state in the union, speeding on two wheels in the Golden State just became a lot riskier. Both the DMV and the California Highway patrol have joined forces to stamp out reckless driving (and riding) with a new enforcement campaign aimed at folks traveling at speeds over the ton. Hit 100 MPH or more on public roads and something called Forwarded Actions for Speeding Tickets (or FAST) kicks into gear. This program automatically refers speedsters to the state’s DMV Driver Safety Branch, who will review the incident and driver’s record to determine whether or not to suspend their license immediately. And by immediately, we mean no judges need be involved and no lawyers, just a blanket vehicle operation ban for as long as a year. This sounds extremely harsh given Cali’s fairly permissive approach to motorcycles. The state led the nation in allowing sensible riding practices like lane-splitting, filtering around cars and trucks at stoplights and creating thousands of layby areas on roads where motorists pull aside to permit faster-moving two-wheelers to pass.
But authorities say the cause for enacting the new law was the huge number of 100-plus riders and drivers caught in the state last year, some 18,000 in just 12 months. As with states like Montana where speed limits are often left to vehicle operator’s discretion in rural, unpopulated areas, many sports-oriented riders and drivers have traveled to Cali in search of places to really put the gas on. Being far, far more populous than Montana, the safety authorities figure Cali is no place to test the top speed capabilities of your vehicle. I guess doing 98 or 99 MPH is still quick but not enough to get anyone a ban but consider yourselves warned. We’ll certainly take notice and keep our eyes on both the gauges and our rear-view mirrors during our next journey out West.
