California can Deny drivers based in California Registration if cited for idiling more than 5 minutes

Truck drivers,owners, and companies based in California can be denied registration ,renewals, and transfers if they have been cited idling for more than 5 minutes. California began enforcing Jan. 1 2008 a new idling limit that no longer exempts sleeper-berth time, though it does exempt idling of trucks carrying temperature-dependent loads, performing safety or maintenance checks and “to prevent a health emergency.”

The state can deny registrations, renewals, and transfers until the citation has been cleared.

Karen Caesar, a spokeswoman for the California Air Resources Board has stated that the local police have been giving the authority to write citations for idiling for more than 5 minutes.

This could really hurt truck drivers, owners, and companies if the citation were to fall on or around the same time as their registration does. Because how long will it take for the court to clear it?

Oregon, Texas, Wisconsin may test elderly drivers more frequently

An Oregon state lawmaker wants to toughen the renewal process for elderly drivers in Oregon. Similar efforts are underway in Texas and Wisconsin.

Rep. Vicki Berger, R-Salem, has introduced a bill that would require Oregon drivers age 75 and older to renew their licenses and undergo testing more frequently. State law now requires all drivers to renew their licenses every eight years. Drivers more than 50 years old must take acuity and field-of-vision tests.

The bill would require older drivers to renew their licenses every four years. They also would be required to pass eyesight and driving-skills tests, the Corvallis Gazette-Times reported.

Opponents say it’s unfair to single out elderly drivers. Supporters say the change is necessary to help keep the state’s roads safe. They cite statistics from the Oregon Department of Transportation that show while drivers 75 and older have an accident rate only slightly lower than beginning drivers.

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Kentucky to get boost in speed limit

Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher has signed a bill into law that allows for higher speed limits on rural interstates and parkways in the state.

The new law, previously SB83, calls for the speed limit for all vehicles to be increased to 70 mph – up from the current 65 mph. Speed limits on the state’s urban interstates will not change.

“The time has come to increase the speed limit on Kentucky’s interstates and parkways,” Fletcher said in a written statement after the bill signing. “Data from other states and conditions for implementation in this legislation give me confidence that 70 miles per hour will not mean a loss of highway safety.”

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