By Kory Reynolds —
It seems like I had just written my last column and it is time for another, where does the time go?
Of course time didn”t speed up, we just get busy, which I think is where time usually goes.
You get so busy time just passes without you knowing it, which is what happened to me.
I got busy this month and put CHP Corner on the back burner and now it is time for another column.
With no ideas in mind to write about, I just wanted to touch on a few things that came up this month, which I hope will be of interest.
Distracted Driving:
I was driving home the other day, of course in my own vehicle, when a car came across the double yellow lines into my lane. I swerved to the shoulder and as the vehicle passed by me the person driving was looking down at her cell phone. After she passed me I looked into the rear view mirror and saw her swerve back into her lane. I and four other drivers had to get out of her way; luckily there was not a collision.
That is the closest I have come to being hit by a distracted driver. I was sure we were going to hit.
I coach basketball and anytime I can watch films of great coaches teaching the game I watch. I saw a show one time with the Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski. They were going over game films and he was talking to them about setting screens. The players had not been setting good screens so he told them: “If you”re not doing it you bet I”ll get upset, but it won”t change until you get upset about it.”
I think this applies to every aspect of life. We will change when we have had enough or are upset enough to change things. So my question is, have we had enough? Are we ready to make changes and take the responsibility of driving more seriously? People are dying and being seriously hurt because people are not paying attention to what they are doing behind the wheel. I think it is time for change, please get a hands-free device or wait until you can pull over. Can you imagine killing someone over a phone call or text message?
Why Did I Get Stopped For That Now?:
Someone came into the office the other day and had received a ticket for having tinted forward windows, which are the driver and passenger side front windows. He didn”t have a problem with the ticket but said he had the tint on there for five years. So why did he get stopped now? Good question, but not a simple answer.
As you may know there are two types of violations we deal with. Moving violations, which are rules of the road violations such as speeding, stop signs, double yellow line violations, things like that. The others are non-moving violations or equipment violations.
Let”s say I am driving north on Highway 29 from Kelseyville to Lakeport. I see a car with a broken windshield going south. Now it is 5 p.m. and there is a line of cars behind the one with the broken windshield.
Is it worth it to attempt a U-turn and turn on lights and make everyone pull over for a windshield? No, it”s not worth it. Now if it is a vehicle doing 70 mph then there is a risk to the safety of others, we would attempt to stop the vehicle. What it comes down to is each violation we see we have to make a decision. Is it worth it? Then of course there are times that we are going to calls or doing something else and a non-moving violation is just not a priority. So if you have tinted windows or something else wrong with your vehicle, we will get to you, sometime.
Since I brought up tinted windows, there is a misconception that there is a legal amount you can tint side windows. That is false. You cannot tint any of the forward windows unless the tint is readily removable. That means that those shades that attach by suction cup and pull down are OK, but anything else is not. The other misconception is that the law is in place because the police cannot see in. That is also false. The State of California determined that tinted windows are a visual hazard that limit your vision out the side and while backing using the rear view mirrors, which is true, especially at night. If the tint is removable, like the shades, you can remove it easily and see to backup or clear an intersection.
Lake County Fair:
As always the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will have a booth at the Lake County Fair. The CHP is planning on opening hiring in January, so information is there on how to apply to take the test. We are unsure how many we will be able to hire so don”t put it off. If you are interested in law enforcement drop by and see us.
Lastly, I just wanted to thank all those who helped at the Wye Fire. From the firefighters to the private citizens, thank you all. One of the best things about our small community is how we all come together in the time of need, great job everyone!
Kory Reynolds is the Public Information Officer for the California Highway Patrol, Clear Lake Area.
We welcome your questions, comments and topic suggestions, email mandyfeder@yahoo.com or mfeder@record-bee.com or call 263-5636 ext. 32.
