New Bill in Califonia's Senate
California's SB1021 would:
- Specify that if a driver violates specified laws that require safe passing, yielding of right-of-way at intersections, safe making of U-turns, and obeying traffic signals, and this violation results in bodily injury to another person, the driver is guilty of the public offense of unsafe operation of a motor vehicle with bodily injury.
- Provide that this new offense is punishable by a fine of $150, when bodily injury results, and by $250, when great bodily injury results. Great bodily injury is defined as a significant or substantial physical injury.
- Provide that a person convicted of unsafe operation of a motor vehicle with bodily injury shall receive two violation points on his or her driving record.
In a nutshell, California is considering a law which will create a new kind of traffic offence: unsafe operation of a motor vehicle resulting in bodily injury. It specifically deals with right of way violations that result in bodily injury, and it creates higher penalties for these violations.
Why should motorcyclist care? Because we see a lot of these violations. Drivers turning left accross our path or changing lanes right in front of us are violating our right of way. California's SB1021 creates stiffer penalties for when these violations result in bodily injury.
You can read the text of the bill and it's analysis at California's website. If you have an opnion on this bill, if you would like to support it or oppose it, hurry up and send your faxes to:
Mr. Mark McKenzieSB1021 is supported by:
Senate Committee on Appropriations
c/o Hon Carol Migden, Senator
State Capitol, Room 2059
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 445-1412
Fax (916) 445-4722
San Francisco District Office
455 Golden Gate Ave,
Ste. 14800
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 557-1300
Fax (916) 445-4722
Marin/San Rafael District Office
Marin Civic Center
3501 Civic Center Drive, Room 425
San Rafael, CA 94903
(415) 479-6612
Fax (415) 479-1146
ABATE of California
American Motorcycle Association
and will come before the Senate Appropriations on May 19.
More by George Obradovich
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