How many of these driving laws and tidbits did you already know?
This Thanksgiving week, Honk is thankful for his readers, who are the smartest, prettiest, handsomest, funniest, most creative and happiest people, and the sharpest dressers, too. Because of their questions during the past year, he has learned:
– A personalized license-plate number can be re-issued if the previous owner has given up the rights to it, although an owner can retain those rights even if the plates are not is use, but instead on a garage wall. …
– Vehicles owned by fire departments can park next to fire hydrants, and a licensed driver can as well if the motorist is in the front seat and poised to scat should authorities need to douse some flames. …
– Caltrans is not supposed to use flares on roadways during so-called red flag days, when winds are high and humidity is low. A Caltrans flare likely caused the Canyon fires last year in northeastern Orange County and beyond. …
– On city of Anaheim horse trails, droppings are left to naturally biodegrade, a common practice in part because the road apples are largely plant-based. …
– Double-yellow lines on freeways are becoming double-whites because the federal government tired of giving California any more waivers on adhering to national standards, meant to be familiar to even non-local drivers. Those lines are going from four to six inches wide, too, per Uncle Sam’s desires. …
– California law allows lane changes in intersections, if done safely. …
– Temporary license plates, with unique numbers, will be required on vehicles immediately off of dealership lots beginning Jan. 1, finally killing off those paper, so-called dealer plates. …
– California’s mileposts may someday go to those nifty, easy-to-read green ones other states deploy. But for now, the state has white county ones on freeways and highways that hold confusing info and are largely for maintenance workers and first responders (if they can find them). …
– If a California Highway Patrol car with flashing emergency lights comes up behind you in the carpool lane, you should slide right when safe, even crossing over any double lines. The officer just wants to get around you – or to pull you over. …
– New residents to the state have only 20 days to register their vehicles in California. …
– But those in the U.S. Armed Services and their spouses, and non-Americans who are attached to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, are exempt if properly registered elsewhere. …
– When Caltrans paints over graffiti on sound walls, the paint doesn’t always match because the state agency uses “cost-efficient, environmentally responsible materials and therefore regularly purchases recycled paint,” Honk was told by an Orange County official. …
– In Orange County, at least, Caltrans tries to run street-sweepers every two weeks on freeways. …
– Bicyclists can pedal along some freeway shoulders in California, usually in rural areas that don’t offer other options. In Orange County, there is no such stretch of freeway. …
– It is illegal for the lone passenger in a driverless car to be drunk, because the motorist must be able to take over. …
– It is not illegal to cut into a military convoy on the freeway, but as Honk will quickly tell you, it is crazy uncool except for a good reason such as getting to a freeway exit. …
To ask Honk questions, reach him at honk@ocregister.com. He only answers those that are published. To see Honk online: ocregister.com/tag/honk.