Articles Posted in Miscellaneous News

March 3, 20120 is known as Super Tuesday because it’s the date 14 states hold their primary elections, including California.   Because of the high number of states and delegates up for grabs, whoever becomes the nominee of the Democrat Party to be President of the United States may be determined by the Super Tuesday votes.  And remember in addition to President, there are many other offices and measures being voted on, including our representatives for Congress  (known as the United States Representative), Los Angeles County District Attorney, many Judges of the Superior Court, and various county measures.

California used to hold its primary in June, but because so many other states held their primaries earlier and the nominees were sometimes already decided, California moved its primary up to early March to become more relevant.

In addition to moving its primary up to March 3, 2020, California and Los Angeles County have instituted early voting procedures where voters could vote in certain places since February 22, 2020 and other places since February 29, 2020.

Light emissions/Neon Underglow Lighting

In California, neon underglow lights are quite slightly, becoming a rage and are legal to use, but , of course, there are some restrictions. Before installing and using such neon underglow lighting, be sure to check to confirm what is permitted.  The following will set forth some of the basic guidelines in California relating to neon car and vehicle lights.

California’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) regulates neon underglow lighting.  The DMV permits LED lights which emit a diffused non-glaring light which is less than 0.05 candela per square inch (1 candela is essentially equal to the light emitted from one candle).   You are advised to check your neon lights’ luminosity when buying them to be certain they are within the standards set and required by the California DMV.

Lifted Suspension

Some car and truck vehicle owners want to give their car’s and truck’s suspension a lift.  Again, before doing this, find out what’s allowed in California.

For example, in California, one rule is the maximum frame height is 23 inches.

California Law Against Hanging Things from Rear View Mirror

Hanging an air freshener, fuzzy dice or other objects  from your rearview mirror could be a violation of the law in your state. Specifically, in California the law prohibits placing an object that “obstructs or reduces the driver’s clear view through the windshield or side windows.”  Therefore, be certain anything you hang from your car’s rearview mirror does NOT obstruct or reduce your clear view.

California Law on Engine Modifications

California car enthusiasts love to modify their cars, from exhaust systems to window tinting to neon underglow lighting.  Before you make any modifications to your car be sure to check whether California prohibits your desired modification.  The following will briefly review several of the more popular vehicle modifications:

Illegal: Loud Exhaust Systems

If you want people to hear your car before they see it, make sure it’s not illegal to have a loud exhaust.   Many car enthusiasts want to modify their car’s exhaust system, but there are laws governing the noise limit your vehicle can produce. California changed its exhaust law in 2019 so that having a loud muffler is no longer just a fix-it ticket but rather a ticketed fine. In short, vehicles must have a muffler that prevents “excessive noise from the exhaust system.”

A study done by YourMechanic, a startup in Mountain View, California, recently revealed an interesting fact about California drivers—according to the study, California drivers rank first place for the “Most Aggressive Drivers” in the country.

The startup specializes in serving car owners with car problems. Their study also analyzed other categories including “Which is the Most Dangerous State to Drive in?” and “Average Driver Speed.” Surprisingly, New Mexico took first place for “Most Dangerous State to Drive in” and Wyoming took first place for “Average Driver Speed.”

In determining the state with the most aggressive drivers, the study looked at the rate of aggressive driving events per minute of travel. These events included things like speeding, hard braking, and accelerating. California has the most frequent rate “with an average of 6.6 minutes per journey” involving these aggressive driving events. On YourMechanic’s rubric, in terms of aggressive driving, California earned a 10—a perfect score.