Laws vary from state to state. You are advised to stop
by the nearest Department of Motor Vehicles Office for a handbook before
entering California or go out on the internet for a motor vehicles
handbook.
The term "vehicle" includes motorcycles, automobiles, trailers,
vans, and boats regularly parked or garaged overnight in
California.
TRAFFIC REGULATIONS
Vehicle registration papers and a
valid operator's permit from your home state are needed to operate a privately
owned vehicle both on and off Station.
Traffic regulations are strictly
enforced at China Lake. The speed limit on the base is 25 miles per hour unless
otherwise posted. DoD decals can be obtained from the Vehicle Registration Desk
located at the Visitor Center at the main gate. To receive your decal, you must
bring your vehicle registration, military identification card (if applicable),
driver's license and proof of insurance.
SEAT BELTS
Seat belts, both
the lap belt and shoulder harness, must be in good working order. You may not
operate your vehicle unless you and all your passengers 16 years of age or over,
or who weigh 60 lbs. or more, are wearing seat belts. If seat belts are not
worn, you will be given a traffic ticket. Also, the driver will be given the
ticket if a passenger, younger than 16, is not wearing his/her seat
belt.
Always use your seat belts (including the shoulder harness) if your
vehicle is equipped with them and even if the vehicle is equipped with air bags.
If you wear only a lap belt when driving, your chances of living through an
accident are twice as good as someone who doesn't wear a lap belt. If you wear a
lap and shoulder belt, your chances are three to four times
better.
Pregnant women should wear the lap belt as low as possible under
the abdomen and the shoulder strap between the breasts and to the side of the
abdomen's bulge.
CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEM AND SAFETY SEATS
Any child
under the age of six weighing less than 60 pounds must be secured in a federally
approved child passenger restraint system and ride in the back seat of a
vehicle.
A child under the age of six weighing less than 60 pounds may
ride in the front seat of a vehicle when:
There is no rear seat or the rear
seats are either side-facing jump seats or rear-facing seats.
The child
passenger restraint system cannot be installed properly in the rear seat.
All rear seats are already occupied by children under the age of 12 years.
A medical reason requires the child to ride in the front seat.
A child
may not ride in the front seat of an airbag-equipped vehicle if the child:
Is under one year of age.
Weighs less than 20 pounds.
Is riding in a
rear-facing child passenger restraint system.
Children ages six and older
but less than 16 and children under age six but who weigh more than 60 pounds,
must be properly secured in an appropriate child passenger restraint system or
safety belt which meets federal safety standards.
UNATTENDED CHILDREN IN
MOTOR VEHICLES
It is illegal to leave a child six years of age or younger
unattended in a motor vehicle when:
There are conditions that present a
significant risk to the child's health or safety. Example: Leaving a child in a
closed car on a very hot day.
The vehicle's engine is running, the keys are
in the ignition, or both. Children can start or move the car causing injuries
and/or deaths to themselves or others. Exception: The child may be left under
the supervision of a person 12 years of age or older. The court may fine
violators and require the person to attend a community education program. Also,
the penalties for leaving an unattended child in a vehicle are more severe if
the child is injured, requires emergency medical services, or
dies.
ALCOHOL AND THE LAW
In California, it is illegal to drive with a
Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) that is eight hundredths (0.08) of one percent or
greater. However, a BAC below .08% does not mean that it is safe to
drive. It is not safe to drive even after one drink. A
breath, blood or urine test is what usually determines whether you are driving
legally or illegally. A BAC below legal limits does not mean that it
is safe to drive. Almost all drivers show the effects of alcohol at levels lower
than the legal limit.
DRIVERS 21 AND OLDER
If you are convicted of
driving with alcohol or drugs in your body, the judge may sentence you to 48
hours to six months in jail. You will have to pay from $390 to $1,000 in fines
(penalty assessment extra), the first time you are convicted. In addition, you
will lose your license for six months, or DMV will restrict your driving
privilege. You will also be required to complete a licensed DUI program, file a
certificate of insurance (SR 22), and pay restriction and reissue fees. If the
vehicle is registered in your name, the court may take your vehicle away for up
to six months. You will have to pay for storage fees.
Starting September
20, 2005, you may apply for a restricted license if you enroll in a licensed DUI
program, file a certificate of insurance (SR 22), and pay restriction and
reissue fees.
If you are convicted of a DUI twice within seven years, the
court must punish you with time in jail (up to a year), a fine up to $1,000, and
will take your vehicle for up to twelve months. You will lose your license for
two years. After completion of 12 months of the suspension period, you may
obtain a restricted license if you enroll in a DUI program, have an ignition
interlock device (IID) installed on your vehicle, file a certificate of
insurance (SR 22) with DMV, and pay the restriction and reissue fees.
If you
are convicted a third time within seven years, you will lose your driver license
for up to three years, pay a fine up to $1000, have your vehicle impounded for
up to twelve months, and spend from three months to one year in jail. After
completion of 18 months of the revocation period, you may apply for a restricted
driver license if you complete a DUI program, install an IID on your vehicle,
file an SR 22 with DMV, and pay the restriction and reissue
fees.
Completion of a DUI program is required for all DUI
convictions.
In cases involving death or serious bodily injury, you may
be punished under California's "Three Strikes Law." You could also face a civil
lawsuit.
CARRYING ALCOHOL IN A VEHICLE
The law is very strict about
carrying alcohol or drugs in a vehicle whether the vehicle is on or off the
highway. You must not drink any alcoholic drink in any vehicle. A container of
liquor, beer, or wine carried inside the vehicle must be full, sealed, and
unopened. Otherwise, it must be in the trunk or a place where passengers don't
sit. Keeping an opened alcoholic drink in the glove compartment is specifically
against the law. In a bus, taxi, camper, or motor home, the law does not apply
to non-driving passengers.
IMPORTANT
You cannot legally purchase beer,
wine, or hard liquor if you are under the age of 21. The law is very
strict if you are under 21 and drive with a BAC that is 0.01% or more.
DRIVER'S LICENSE
California Military Personnel
If you are out of
state on active military service in the United States Armed Forces, and have a
valid California driver license, your license will be valid for:
The full
time you are absent from the state, and
30 days from your discharge date,
if honorably discharged outside of California. Carry both your driver license
and discharge papers during those 30 days. Call 1-800-777-0133 and
ask for a card (DL 236) that extends your license. Military dependents do not
qualify for this extension.
Nonresident Military Person Stationed
Here
If you are 18 years of age or older, see the rules for "California
Residents" and "Adults Visiting California." Licensees eligible for military
extensions should carry documentation from their home state to verify their
status to local law enforcement.
New Residents
When you make your home
here or take a job, you must get a California driver license within 10 days.
Residency is established by: voting in California elections; paying resident
tuition at a California college or university; filing for a home owner's
property tax exemption; obtaining a license; or receiving any other privilege or
benefit not ordinarily extended to nonresidents.
Adults Visiting
California
Visitors over 18 years old with a valid driver license from their
home state or country may drive in California without getting a driver license
as long as their home state license remains valid.
Minors Visiting
California
Visitors between 16 and 18 years old may drive with their home
state license or instruction permit for only 10 days after arriving in
California. After the 10 days, they must have either a:
California driver
license, or
Nonresident Minor's Certificate, which is issued by DMV to a
minor who has given proof of financial responsibility.
CALIFORNIA
VEHICLES
Out-of-State Vehicle
Vehicles registered in another state or
foreign country must be registered in California within 20 days after you become
a resident or get a job.
Nonresident military personnel and their spouses
may operate their vehicles in California with valid home state license plates or
until the plates issued from their last duty station expire. They may renew the
registration in their home state before it expires or register the vehicle in
California. Items needed to register are:
Completed and signed Application
for Title or Registration (REG 343).
Verification of the vehicle completed
by DMV or an auto club employee.
Out-of-state title and/or last issued
out-of-state registration card, if the title is not submitted.
Smog
certification (1976 and newer motor vehicles only).
Weight certificate for
commercial vehicles only.
Appropriate DMV fees.
Completed Odometer
Mileage Disclosure statement, if applicable.
INSURANCE
You must have
liability insurance covering damage to the person or property of others.
Comprehensive or collision coverage only is for damage to your vehicle, and does
not meet the financial responsibility requirement.
Full coverage- may
only cover your damage. Check your policy or talk to your agent or broker to be
sure that you have the correct liability insurance coverage for each vehicle you
own. The minimum liability insurance coverage required for private passenger
vehicles per accident is $35,000 and is defined by the following levels of
coverage:
$15,000 for injury/death to one person.
$30,000 for
injury/death to more than one person.
$5,000 for damage to property.
MOTORCYCLE LAWS
Motorcyclists riding on base are required to take and
pass a free 16-hour class presented by the Safety Department at China Lake. You
may get further information or sign up by calling (760) 939-2368. If
you have certification from another installation you can present that to the
Safety Technician and see if they will accept it. Motorcycles and
helmets are provided for the class training.
All motorcycle riders and
passengers, regardless of age, are required to wear a helmet when operating a
two-wheel vehicle on a public street, highway, or freeway.
Motorcycle
riders aboard the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake are required to wear a
brightly-colored-upper-outer garment - meaning a jacket that is either bright
yellow, bright orange, bright red or bright green. Flight jackets and
dark green or cammo jackets do not meet the intent of the OPNAV 5100.12G
regulation.
Instead of a bright jacket, riders may
alternatively wear the typical orange or yellow vest. They do not
have to wear both. Appropriate vests are available for purchase by
authorized customers at the Navy Exchange Autoport.
At night, riders must
have a reflective upper garment. Many motorcycle jackets now feature reflective
material in the arms, shoulders, chest and back - and meet this requirement with
the addition of a reflective vest.
Riders not following this regulation
will be denied access to China Lake.
ADDITIONAL DRIVING RULES
Things
you must not do:
Do not drive a vehicle so loaded, either with property or
people, that you cannot control it, see ahead, or to the sides of your vehicle.
Do not carry anything in or on a passenger vehicle which extends beyond
the fenders on the left side or more than six inches beyond the fenders on the
right side. A load extending more than four feet from the back of the vehicle
must display a 12-inch red or fluorescent orange square flag or two red lights
at night.
Do not allow anyone to ride on any part of your vehicle not
intended for passengers.
Do not allow a person to ride in the back of a
pickup or other truck unless the vehicle is equipped with seats and the person
uses both the seat and a safety belt.
Do not transport animals in the back
of a pickup or other truck unless the animal is properly secured.
Do not
dump or abandon animals on a highway. This crime punishable by a fine of up to
$1000, six months in jail, or both.
Do not tow anyone who is riding a
bicycle, in a wagon, on roller skates, on a sled, on skis, or on a toy vehicle.
Do not litter the roadside. The fine is $1000 and you may be forced to
pick up what you threw away. Littering convictions show on your driving record.
Do not wear a headset over, or earplugs in, both your ears.
Do not
wear eyeglasses with temples wide enough to keep you from seeing clearly to the
sides.
Do not drive a vehicle equipped with a video monitor if the monitor
is visible to the driver and displays anything other than vehicle information or
global mapping displays.
Do not honk your horn unless it is a safety
warning.
Do not throw any cigarette, cigar, or other flaming or glowing
substance from your vehicle.
Do not shoot firearms on a highway or at
traffic signs.
Do not block your view by putting signs or other objects on
the front windshield or the back and side windows. Do not hang objects on the
mirror. Windshield/window stickers, etc., are permitted in these locations only:
A seven-inch square on either the passenger's side windshield, lower
corner; or the rear window, lower corner.
A five-inch square on the
driver's side, lower corner.
Side windows behind the driver.
Do not
drive with tinted safety glass. If you have sun-sensitive skin, you may use
removable sun screens during daylight travel if you have a letter from your
physician.
Things you must do:
You must drive as far to the right
as possible on narrow mountain roads, and if you cannot see at least 200 feet
ahead, honk your horn.
You must use your headlights 30 minutes after
sunset and leave them on until 30 minutes before sunrise.
You must dim
your lights to low beams within 500 feet of a vehicle coming toward you or
within 300 feet of a vehicle you are following.
You must turn on your
headlights if snow, rain, fog, or low-visibility (1000 feet or less) require the
use of windshield wipers.