QUESTION: I know this is a strange question, but can someone get a traffic citation for driving naked? I drive in a truck that is pretty high off the ground and the other day when I was driving on the freeway, I drove by a man that I am certain was driving without any clothes on at all. Could I have called the police?
- Ruth Beam, Redlands
ANSWER: While the "naturalist" in question might not be breaking any Vehicle Code regulation, he sure as heck was committing a violation of the Penal Code and you would have been well within your rights to contact the authorities.
Indecent exposure refers to someone publicly displaying their private parts to one or more people. While some folks might be trying to cool off, and others might simply be enjoying an unfettered sense of freedom, indecent exposure normally shocks or disturbs the unsuspecting viewer; and if that unsuspecting viewer is behind the wheel of a moving vehicle, the outcome could be deadly.
Cool reader comment: Thank you, Michelle, for bringing attention to the dangerous work that Caltrans and other workers perform in maintaining our highways. A few of my Caltrans friends have lost their lives because of careless drivers. I often ask friends if they would be willing to stand on the freeway with only orange cones protecting them. They get a stunned look on their faces then say, "No way would I do that." The next time a worker loses their life repairing our highways, the newspaper should report it with big headlines to call attention to the problem. Jeanne Drake.
Great Vanity Plate: Spotted a silver Honda and chuckled at the clever license plate: L8EGGN (Late Again).
Question: How is one to know about changes in the California Vehicle Code regarding the use of warning lights on school buses? In the past as far as I remember, school buses had to pull to the right and stop before activating their amber/red lights. About a month ago, my wife and I came up behind a bus with its amber lights flashing. The bus didn't seem to be slowing down so we both wondered what the intention of the driver was. Did he forget them after his last stop? We followed for a half block or so and decided to pass on the left. Just as we did, the bus abruptly pulled to the right and stopped.
The red lights came on, and the flag swung out as we were going by. Just our luck that day, there was a motorcycle officer somewhere and he stopped us.
It was a first offense and at a cost of $571; it was a very expensive lesson.
- Chuck, Claremont
Answer: I'm afraid that this isn't a new law, Chuck. School bus drivers have always been required to activate the amber light warning system 200 feet before they reach their stop. As soon as they come to a full stop, they are to activate the flashing red light and flag system.
In the case of those costly school bus passing violations, it is always better to err on the side of caution.
True Vanity Plate: I saw this license plate on a beautiful little luxury sport car and I hate to admit that there was some truth in it: U NVME (you envy me).
Michelle Pearl is a longtime traffic-school instructor and the owner of InterActive Traffic School Online, www.trafficinteractive.com. Send questions to drivetime@dailybulletin.com or write to DriveTime, c/o the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, PO Box 4000, Ontario, CA 91761. Some reader questions will be answered in print.
