DMV Invites Help in Tagging Registration Scofflaws

Dear Street Smart:

As a traveling salesman who puts more than 30,000 miles a year on the road, I have noticed that there is an ever increasing number of cars on the road with out-of-date license tags. As I have paid my fees as required by law, I feel the other guy should as well. How can someone like myself go about reporting these violators of license fees to the CHP or local authorities?

With everyone paying their fair share, I am sure the state would recognize increased revenues and just maybe license fees might become reasonable again.

M. Brown, Tustin

Indeed, some of us would like to have a dollar for every “scofflaw” (an East Coast term for those who scoff at the law) we see. And the state Department of Motor Vehicles, which collects license and registration fees, welcomes your assistance.

DMV spokesman Bill Madison said anyone spotting expired plates or out-of-state plates that have been around a long time should write to the DMV’s Revenue Services section at P.O. Box 932382, Mail Station B148, Sacramento, Calif. 95818.

“We know we have a problem,” Madison said, “but it costs too much money to send an investigator out to see everyone we know of who isn’t paying. So we send letters unless they owe $1,000 or more.”

A law adopted in August should aid deterrence. Now there’s a 40% penalty for the first year of non-renewal, and it increases dramatically each year thereafter, Madison said.

Dear Street Smart:

Two signs clearly state “Left Lane Must Turn Left” on Newport Boulevard, before the intersection with Del Mar Avenue-Fair Drive in Costa Mesa. Cars enter this lane, and most do not turn left. Instead, they continue ahead in order to use the ramp to the Costa Mesa Freeway. Several times, I assumed they would turn left and almost hit them.

I never see law enforcement around. So why have the signs? Why not take them down, if they aren’t going to be enforced?

Dwight Gick, Newport Beach

You’re not the only one troubled by this intersection--see the next letter below. As for your concern, raised pavement markers have been installed that follow the curve of the left turn, according to Caltrans. Also, painted merge arrows on the pavement now indicate that the lane narrows to the left. Moreover, a newly painted pavement message indicates that the left lane “only” turns left.

New signs were also posted farther back along Newport Boulevard to warn traffic that it will have to turn left.

Dear Street Smart:

Enclosed is a diagram of the approach to the Newport Boulevard/Del Mar Avenue (intersection). . . . The problem is that cars going west on Del Mar and wanting to turn on to Newport to make the (Costa Mesa Freeway) on-ramp mistake the two turn arrows (meant for a turn onto Elden Avenue) as an indication for the turn on to Newport Boulevard.

In the meantime, cars correctly in the center lane and expecting to be led into the right turn for Newport Boulevard don’t see the new lane divider and right-turn arrow until it’s too late because of the rise in the road that hides the markings. The result is a hurried right turn that can (and does) impinge on cars that have driven straight through the the Elden right-turn arrows.

Ned Jacoby, Balboa

For those unfamiliar with this intersection, cars approaching Newport Boulevard first cross Elden Avenue. Only 400 feet separate the two streets, which makes the right turns for both corners a delicate proposition at best.

Costa Mesa Traffic Manager Peter Naghavi took a member of his staff out to the site on Friday and immediately concluded that your complaint is “absolutely right.” New pavement markers will be installed in the next few weeks, he said. If that fails to do the trick, other strategies will be investigated.