California Cracking Down on Modified Cars Options

[BlackCelicaGT94]

Maybe I dont really wanna move to Cali.

I know its illegal to mod your car. Ive gotten crap from Police about it up here in Washington about modifying my stock car but dayum! i doubt i would stick out though in Cali.
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California Crackdown on Modified Cars
$5 million in federal money will fund a Sacramento, California effort to stop drivers in modified cars.

Police in Sacramento, California announced Wednesday that they would use $5 million in federal money to begin cracking down on auto enthusiasts who modify their vehicles. The money will be used to form an undercover "Drag-Net" unit to stop motorists who appear to be driving modified cars.

The concept, which originated in San Diego in 2001, has been spreading throughout California generating significant revenue for the state and local departments. In Santa Fe Springs, for example, twelve officers on Drag-Net duty issued 300 citations and impounded 50 vehicles in just one weekend. Several cities have drag-racing ordinances that allow police to auction off seized cars and keep the profits.

Under Drag-Net, San Diego officers come to train other departments how to look out for what they believe to be tell-tale signs of illegal modification such as window tinting, large spoilers, extra gauges or racing stickers. Police say this gives them probable cause to stop and inspect a vehicle and its engine compartment.

In practice, "excessive exaust noise" tickets are the most common violation. California law does not require police to measure sound levels objectively. Instead, according to the California Highway Patrol, the "citation is based on officer's judgment."

Drivers of stock vehicles that come from the factory with some of the characteristics of modified cars have experienced harassment under this provision. One such motorist complained on an enthusiast website that the Calfiornia Highway Patrol was using these programs to make "driving while Asian" a crime, pointing out that the department's own website has several pages dedicated to Asian involvement in street racing and "vehicle modification."

Those receiving a vehicle modification "fix-it" ticket must visit a California Bureau of Automobile Repair office and pay a $35 fee to have their car inspected. If the car fails, a judge can impose another fine of up to $2000 for failing to meet California emissions requirements.

Related Reports: Red light camera study roundup

Article Excerpt:
"We're looking to make a heavy impact on speeding and street racing in this area," Sacramento Police Deputy Chief Steve Segura said during a press conference with local and state officials on Del Paso Road in North Natomas.
Source: Area law enforcers to receive training to combat street racing (Sacramento Bee, 8/4/2005)

Regional News:
Other news about Sacramento, California

Other news about Santa Fe Springs, California

Heres the original article, featured in the Sacramento Bee newspaper:

Area law enforcers to receive training to combat street racing
By Tony Bizjak -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 4:25 pm PDT Wednesday, August 3, 2005

Sacramento city police and other Sacramento county law enforcement agencies have been selected as the first in the state to receive special training on how to catch street racers with souped-up cars.
Announcing a $5 million federal grant Wednesday, state and local officials vowed to crack down more on speeders, and especially young drivers who illegally alter their engines to make them faster.



"We're looking to make a heavy impact on speeding and street racing in this area," Sacramento Police Deputy Chief Steve Segura said during a press conference with local and state officials on Del Paso Road in North Natomas.

The event took place a few hundred feet from where Kimberly Marie Wheeler, 40, was hit and killed by a 19-year-old street racer on a June weekday afternoon as she left work.

The state's top transportation official, Business, Transportation & Housing Secretary Sunne Wright McPeak, called Wheeler's death an example of "a needless incident that has to be stopped."

Officers representing most law enforcement agencies in Sacramento County will be trained on ways they can legally stop a car they suspect has been illegally modified, then how to look for and recognize illegal modifications, officials said.

Those officers then will train others in their departments on how to spot and check out illegal engines, and on what citations they can write.

Notably, owners of illegally modified cars can be cited for failing to meet state emissions standards, which can lead to fines and fees of more than $2,000, said Gregory Sloan, a San Diego city police officer who will conduct the training.

The program funded by the grant is called Drag-Net. The program also includes increasing efforts to find out where street racing occurs and to crack down on the races.

[nik]

Thats some bs what are they going to do if you buy the new supra or skyline stock alone is fast what then a bunch of bs tickets so you spend everyday down there getting your car inspected

[LewFX]

i havent gotten pulled over yet, i try to keep it looking as stock as possible except the hood, ill laugh when they see a stock engine bay.

[orvillescelica]

its profiling at its worst. What about the guys that run thier cars at SCCA events on the weekends? What about the cars coming from the factory like new Scions and Fords where the company themselves are promoting the car with the aftermarket goodies you can get for it? And where is the crack down on the actual race cars, the ferraris', lamorginis', porches', cars that have more powerful engines than any ricer honda and the ability to take a corner as fast as a pro straight from the showroom with wreckless rich show-offs behind the wheel?

[forkee]

its more of a scare tactic. if u dont have any points against you (traffic tickets, speeding tickets, etc.) and you stay out of the places the rice patrol watches over, then your fine. keep the car clean and not flashy should not make u target for them. id say ur car would be fine. just dont put that rally paintjob u wanted to do a while ago

[Phat_99CeliGT]

makes me glad i live in Ohio.
lol

[Bigmeanbulldog55]

I swear on everything I have, if someone tries to take away my right to modify my car, I'm going crazy. I'll do the whole war paint, flying around yelling "FREEDOM." They will never take my rights away from me.

EDIT: After reading this, I'm am so mad I feel to the point of almost crying. I'm done with this country. Everything that starts in Cali spreads. I can't take it.

EDIT2: This has ruined my day, and changed my mind forever.

This post has been edited by Bigmeanbulldog55: Nov 15, 2005 - 9:18 PM

[ToYCeLi8]

Great... Another reason for me to move and/or sell my celi. I was thinking of 1st moving to San Diego area. Now that's not going to happen. I guess ill try Washington. Know any good places Natalie? I might need a roommate. ;-)

Great... Another reason for me to move and/or sell my celi. I was thinking of 1st moving to San Diego area. Now that's not going to happen. I guess ill try Washington. Know any good places Natalie? I might need a roommate. ;-)

David

This post has been edited by ToYCeLi8: Nov 18, 2005 - 1:29 AM

[dlx742]

Under Drag-Net, San Diego officers come to train other departments how to look out for what they believe to be tell-tale signs of illegal modification such as window tinting, large spoilers, extra gauges or racing stickers. Police say this gives them probable cause to stop and inspect a vehicle and its engine compartment.

ok first of all... WINDOW TINTING???? cmon, thats just ridiculous

and second of all. i live in San Diego and i have never seen anyone being pulled over because of vehicle modifications. people get pulled over for speeding or recless driving and then the cop checks under your hood for your carb sticker and stuff. but i think this article is bs, they would have to take at least 25% of the cars in San Diego off of the road...

[94ST2]

Californias laws are gay. It seems that they have stepped up thier efforts here over summer since a innocent lady's car was hit by two street racers and she died. People doing that in public areas that are highly traveled should be punished but it caused a chain reaction to where there was 20 highway patrol/police patrolling the main cruising area and it got to where they shut down the roads. They also have smog checkpoints. It is profiling because there are lots of muscle/domestic cars that cruise on the same street as all the import guys but only the import guys get pulled over. Tha main thing they get pulled over for is loud exhaust or modified exhaust and then of course the hood gets popped and here come all the other tickets and even a lot of impounding of cars. They had a designated area where people drove their cars to get towed to impound and they had 8 or so tow trucks waiting along with all the cops mention above. Ive rambled on to much now I dont even know if it makes sense but that is what is happening in my area.
*edit* You can get tickets for your windows being tinted darker than 35% (only the front though, doesnt apply to back windows). You can also get tickets for having to loud of a stero system in your car.(my cousin who has had this happen to him a few times). It easier though to not get caught for these because you can role down your front windows while you drive and you dont have to turn up your system as loud as it can go.

This post has been edited by 94ST2: Nov 16, 2005 - 3:11 AM

[TheStreetzKing]

ok loud systems, same laws as the city nothing new, the window tint, illegal everywhere.. however california has so new crazy ****.. i saw a video where some street racer had a civic and was caught racing then the cop pulled him over and called a compact crusher.. crushed his car right there.. now thats some ****..

[Bigmeanbulldog55]

Revolution people. I'm ready to start this. I'll die for my freedoms. They'll never hold me down.

[creis]

Drivers of stock vehicles that come from the factory with some of the characteristics of modified cars have experienced harassment under this provision. One such motorist complained on an enthusiast website that the Calfiornia Highway Patrol was using these programs to make "driving while Asian" a crime, pointing out that the department's own website has several pages dedicated to Asian involvement in street racing and "vehicle modification."

They have no idea what there doing, Just because people fix up there car does not in any way mean they race it on the street. I agree with them that street racing is a bad thing and needs to be stopped, however I cant understand why 5 million dollers going tward give out tickets to innocent bystandards is gana do it, a lot of real street racers dont have visible mods to there car, its all under the hood, and its very easy to get a high proformance exhaust that does not sound load. mods like that are done for show, not racing.

illegal modification such as window tinting, large spoilers, extra gauges or racing stickers. Police say this gives them probable cause to stop and inspect a vehicle and its engine compartment.

our minivan has tinted windows, does that mean it would get pulled over and the motor checked, tinting is not illigal up to a point, and its very hard to tell the diff between an legal and illigal tint job at night anyway.

"citation is based on officer's judgment."

Thats what really got me, if an officer pulls you over because he thinks your a street racer, he allready hates your guts and wants you in jail, his opinion would be very un-fair, it should not be admissible in court without a acurate test, and if there gana put up 5 mill on this action they better be able to have a real test done (it should be that you dont have to pay for the test or inspecion if you pass because they if you pass you rongfully had to pay a fee for no reason other then an officers will.

I cant wait till they pull over someone who has a real nice atturny, who turns around and sews for that 5 mill, as much as I'm against sewing the state out of there tax money, things like this that really show how carupt and simple minded the goverment in that area have become and need the loss to learn from.

This post has been edited by creis: Nov 16, 2005 - 12:28 PM

[K-ESD]

I love canada

[CheesyLobster]

http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showto...n+modified+cars

[Bigmeanbulldog55]

It's only a matter of time before they control what we can and can't eat due to all the deaths from obesity. Then they completely control the things we watch because the deaths from violence. Then they control everything because it can avoid "unnecessary death."

[madmods]

great article Nat,
If there going to pull us over for exhaust sound, then I want the harleys pulled over. I never have heard a quiet one that would pass the db sound test.

[creis]

^ yep, but its ok, no one with a bike races or drives bad on the streets.

[jojobombiest]

oh my god... having a sticker on my car is no f-ing reason to pull me over, that is so REDICULOUS. I've already gotten pulled over for tint in front 2 windows, exhaust and no front liscence plate and gotten fix it tickets for all of them. They are taking this way too far.... *sigh*

This post has been edited by jojobombiest: Nov 17, 2005 - 6:52 PM

[playr158]

exhaust, tint and no front plate are all part of the law....you have to comply just modify within the allowed limits
in VA i can't even modify my exhaust......(but i do)

oh FYI this has go to be reposted like 6000 times.....

we all know cali is cracking down