Can I keep my out-of-state plates and registration “forever,” renewing annually, until I move permanently to California? I’ll be spending three to four months at a time in California.

Anonymous

A: The DMV answered your question. If a driver claims a property tax exemption in California, then they are considered a California resident and must register their vehicle in California. A customer can only claim one primary residence. More information on what constitutes a “California resident” can be found on the DMV’s website at https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/how-to-determine-residency-when-fees-are-due-on-out-of-state-vehicles-htvr-33/.

Q: Drivers with high beams are bad enough. More often, I see drivers with no taillights on. They have their daytime running lights on, but that doesn’t turn on taillights. In earlier cars, when headlights were off, your dash was dark. Now, electronic dashboards are always lit up. There ought to be a federal law requiring all new cars to have automatic-on headlights, controlled by solar cells to sense darkness.

Doug Finley

A: And …

Q: I have two cars with auto high beams. I turn the automatic off and do it manually, as they seldom go back to low early enough when a car is approaching. Who wants to blind oncoming traffic?

John Hamblin

A: And …

Gwynne Willison

A: A good idea, having headlights adjusted if many other drivers think your high beams are on.

Q: Declining eyesight is a serious factor in night driving and any driving. It’s not just the headlight issue. I found night driving increasingly difficult, with glare from oncoming headlights blinding me, making driving dangerous and full of anxiety. I had cataract surgery, and my life was transformed. One hour, minor discomfort, zero after-effects. There are now actual colors and clarity. I recovered 20/20 in one eye and 20/40 in the other. Driving, day or night, is now confident and safe.

John Joss, Mountain View

A: And that’s today’s last word.

Look for Gary Richards at Facebook.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at mrroadshow@bayareanewsgroup.com.

But what about the northbound 87 connector ramps to both directions of Interstate 280? It seems they could have gone another 50 feet in each lane. I’ve driven both and as it is now, as soon as you drive off the new pavement, a driver practically lands in an asphalt ditch that rattles the teeth. Does Caltrans’ plan include finishing those connector ramps?

Dan Hendrix, San Jose

A: Hopefully this will also be taken care of as part of the project. I’ve forwarded your comment to Caltrans.

Q: I understand and appreciate all the work that is being done on Interstate 80 and its ramps. However, I find it extremely frustrating that they can have the work area lit up like Christmas, but they can’t have an electronic sign to alert a driver that an upcoming ramp is closed. I had to cross the Carquinez Bridge recently because there wasn’t a visible notification before the Cummings Skyway ramp.

I would appreciate an email or phone number for the Caltrans fellow, so I can lodge my complaint. This isn’t the first time it has happened.

Melanie Andersen

A: Use the Caltrans Customer Service Request form to describe the problem, hopefully preventing it in the future. You’ll find it online at: https://csr.dot.ca.gov/. I’ve also forwarded your comment to Caltrans as general feedback about signage during road closures.

Q: You wrote about reflective gear for motorcyclists and bicyclists. The lion’s share of riding gear for both of these types of riders has retro-reflective elements in it. This has nothing to do with “coolness.” According to the Hurt Report (Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures), two-thirds of accidents involving a car and motorcycle are the fault of the car driver. It is because drivers aren’t looking for motorcycles. They have been taught to look for and avoid other cars.

Most drivers are tuned out, and driving is secondary to whatever other thoughts are going on in their head. They just aren’t paying attention, or scanning the road for potential hazards or blind spots. They are thinking about that spousal argument, a child’s issues at school or their grocery list, etc. If drivers take the figurative horse blinders off, and turn their heads to see what is going on around them, it could save a life.

David Fraguglia

A: Distracted driving, whether because of technology or being lost in worries or thought is dangerous. Paying attention and being ready for the unexpected can prevent collisions and tragedy.

Look for Gary Richards at Facebook.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at mrroadshow@bayareanewsgroup.com.

I was pulled over recently for driving in the carpool lane, even though I explained to the officer that I was going to turn right on Walsh. The officer said that driving more than a quarter-mile in a carpool lane as a single driver is enough for a ticket, but am I really at fault?

M.

A: Yes, sounds like you are. I got this question a few years ago and my answer then is still valid now: Enter the diamond lane once past the previous intersection with a traffic signal and when it can be done safely. This might be about 200 to 500 feet from your turn.

In general, police will ticket solo drivers who pass through a signalized intersection in the carpool lane. I shift lanes only when traffic ahead is at a crawl and I feel it is safe to move right. Sometimes this is near my turn; sometimes it is several hundred feet away.

Q: You published a reader’s advice about making sure your high beams are not on. In my experience, newer Teslas have their low beams aimed too high, possibly illegally high, and blind oncoming drivers as if high beams were on. There is a menu adjustment to lower them, but that should be done by a service center to get it correct.

In my opinion, Tesla (and some Audis with new LED headlights) should issue a recall to properly aim their low beams. They are dangerously bright when maladjusted, as they seem to be delivered from the factory

Edward Oates, Portola Valley

A: And…

Q: I have also noticed the problem with high beams for quite some time now. I am 74, and this is so troublesome for me that I have cut down my driving in evening hours.

I believe the problem is the auto high-beam technology used in new cars. The car normally runs with high beam and switches to low beam as it detects an oncoming car. However, this switch only happens when the oncoming car is about 50-100 feet away, which is too late for the driver of the oncoming car who is already blinded. In my opinion, this is not suitable for a metro area with high traffic density, and the DMV should do something about this.

Ravinder Singh, Fremont

A: An interesting point. It seems backward if the design errs on the side of high beams.

Look for Gary Richards at Facebook.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at mrroadshow@bayareanewsgroup.com.

My DMV registration is coming up in November. Smog certification is required. What can I do about the car registration if the car cannot be driven to the smog station without the seat belt?

Tushar Patel

A: The DMV advised that If you do not have all the required documentation, such as a smog certification or proof of insurance, you should pay the fees on or before the vehicle registration expiration date to avoid penalties. You will receive a receipt showing what is needed to complete the application for registration. This receipt does not authorize operation of the vehicle, but avoids penalty fees.

Q: You published a letter by a Caltrain and bike rider who made a useful suggestion for how to load bikes and passengers more quickly. You replied, saying that the appearance of the letter in your column was raising awareness of the train-loading issue. I disagree. While many people read and appreciate your column, they don’t necessarily read it every day, nor retain the content for years later.

It would be better if this improved train-loading advice were seen every time someone used the Caltrain bike cars. The solution would involve Caltrain putting up signs on the outside and inside of the bike cars and having the conductors enforce/suggest the advice.

Steve Kelem, Los Altos Hills

A: And…

Q: If Caltrain doesn’t have them already, why don’t they put signs on the bike car that it’s for bike riders only?

John Hamblin

A: Caltrain said that legally any seat on the train is for any passenger. The responses I’ve received are that other riders see benefit to them, too, when bike riders, who need more time to load their bikes, can get that job done as easily as possible. There may be ways to recommend rather than to restrict.

Q: Could you please remind drivers not to drive with their high beams on? They blind oncoming traffic, If you see a blue light on your dash, or oncoming vehicles are flashing their lights at you, please check your high beams. Also, it is unlawful to drive in town with high beams on. I see it too often.

Dave Graff

A: A good reminder.

Look for Gary Richards at Facebook.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at mrroadshow@bayareanewsgroup.com.

First, I take the same train every day. At times I arrive at the station to discover that my train has been canceled and I have to wait 11 minutes for the next one. Why can’t I set up Caltrain notifications to tell me that my train has been canceled?

Second, there are limited seats in the bike cars, and riders with bikes take a lot longer to load than regular riders. Why do people without bikes crowd into the bike car? As a result, the bike car is still loading while all other cars, and riders, are ready to go. Non-bike riders in the bike car also sit in seats in the bike area. We cyclists need to be near our bikes, both to keep them from being stolen, and to potentially rearrange them. Can you please let readers know that there is lots of space in other cars and to please give priority in bike cars to bike owners with their bikes?

Karin Stein, Mountain View

A: On your first concern, Jeremy-a-Caltrain-spokesperson said they’re working on ways to let riders know about schedule changes, including through text/email alerts and more robust online information. And as for the second one, you just raised awareness about how the train could load faster if non-bike riders looked for seats in non-bike cars, when possible.

Q: I was eagerly anticipating driving on Interstate 680 right after the weekend repairs. While I give huge kudos to the crews for smoothing out the biggest depressions, I can’t help but feel the work is incomplete. It seems that they did hardly anything between the Bernal on-ramp and the Castlewood off-ramp. The surface from Castlewood to the Sunol Boulevard. off-ramp wasn’t topped with asphalt and striped.

Are they planning on another shutdown in the (hopefully) near future to finish things? Right now it’s as if they put a coat of primer on the house, but haven’t fully painted it yet.

Wayne Starron, Pleasanton

A: Caltrans thanks you for the kudos. And Janis-the-Caltrans-spokesperson for Alameda County says you’re right, the work, part of a larger project, is incomplete. They replaced pavement on southbound 680 from Sunol Boulevard/Castlewood to Koopman Road. Concrete was used in the far right-hand lane and will have no asphalt overlay. Caltrans will perform grinding on the top layer of the concrete later in the construction process to provide a much smoother ride.

The segment between the 580/680 interchange and Stoneridge Drive was paved with asphalt.

Look for Gary Richards at Facebook.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at mrroadshow@bayareanewsgroup.com.

Craig King

A: Motorcyclist visibility is essential. I’m not the right person to comment on the “coolness” of bright, reflective clothing for motorcyclists, so will leave that to others.

Q: Most pedestrian deaths are at night. This can be fixed quite easily. Cell phones come with flashlights. I’d suggest we have a law requiring you to use a flashlight or your cell phone’s flashlight when you’re crossing the street at night.

It’s just common sense.

Jim Wissick

A: Using a flashlight while crossing the street at night is a good idea, even without a law

Q: A bicyclist can be in the traffic lane for many valid reasons. Perhaps they are planning to make a left turn. Or there may be obstacles in the bike lane which make the bike lane unusable for a stretch. (A pile of leaves may look innocuous to a driver, but could hide a serious hazard to a cyclist.) You can be sure, however, that bicyclists are not in the vehicle lane just to annoy you!

You rightly pointed out that using the bike lane to pass a cyclist on the right is illegal. But it is much more: It can be deadly for the cyclist. After the cyclist passes the obstacle, they would return to the bike lane, not expecting a car to be passing them on the right. They could move directly in front of the car trying to pass, with potentially deadly consequences.

Martin Delson

A: Important points, thanks. Readers in recent columns have also raised awareness about the danger and frequency of obstacles in bike lanes.

Q: Since adding the Real ID last year, I have been able to leave the non-Real one in my car and the Real one in my purse. This has been lovely, as I have not had to carry a purse for errands and meeting friends for a walk.

I recently renewed my license. In a few weeks, I will have only one that’s not expired. If I were to be stopped by an officer and only had the expired copy in my car, would that be legal, since any check by the officer would show I have a current license? I hate leaving a wallet or purse in a car, given so many break-ins currently.

Louise Roon

A: The DMV says that a valid driver’s license must be in a driver’s possession any time they drive and they must present that license upon request by law enforcement.

Look for Gary Richards at Facebook.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at mrroadshow@bayareanewsgroup.com.

Anonymous

A: It can be. The CHP and National Sleep Foundation recognize Nov. 5-11 as Drowsy Driving Prevention Week. Time changes and insufficient sleep can affect drivers’ ability to drive safely.

Preliminary 2023 data from CHP traffic records show that there have been more than 4,000 crashes in California this year involving a drowsy driver.

The CHP reminds drivers to pull safely off the road whenever they feel drowsy. If you’re looking for a rest area, check Caltrans QuickMap. The CHP also cautions drivers against stopping on the side of the road where they risk getting hit by another car.

Q: Your recent column on blocked bike lanes included a great series of comments.

Did you know that the trash collection companies request or require that garbage cans be placed 18 inches from the curb? This puts cans squarely in the bike path in many locations.

Steve Brock

A: Jennie-the-city-Environmental-Services-spokesperson for San Jose provided an answer to your question about the city’s curbside setout instructions.

Cart wheels should be at the curb and yard trimming piles should be one foot from the curb. “We’re not aware of haulers instructing residents to set out differently,” she said, adding that these instructions have been in place for over two decades.

For more information, see San Jose’s curbside setout instructions here. Yard trimmings setout guidelines are here.

Colin-the-city-spokesperson said that in most situations, bike lanes are separated from the curb by a 7- to 8-foot parking lane, so carts 18 inches from the curb wouldn’t impede them, even if that were allowed or required. In cases where the city has a curb-adjacent bike lane, with parking on the outside (parking-protected bike lanes), the outside of the bike lane is treated as the “curb.” In places where such bike lanes are next to businesses or multi-family housing, San Jose has installed rubber curbing to prevent dumpsters from rolling back into the bike lane.

Q: In the Fair Oaks/Weddell story recently, your Caltrans contact is misinformed. City crews absolutely did not “remove the traffic signal pole without Caltrans’ permission.” The signal pole was installed on top of our water main. When the main broke, it undermined the pole and Caltrans removed it. Sunnyvale has since repaired the main. We also relocated it so it will no longer be under the signal poles.

Understandably, we’re not keen on having your readers think Sunnyvale removes equipment belonging to other agencies without permission. I’m hoping you can help set the record straight.

Jennifer Garnett, communications officer, Sunnyvale city manager’s office

A: Thanks for this information. I’ve also passed it on to Caltrans.

Look for Gary Richards at facebook.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at mrroadshow@bayareanewsgroup.com.

My cousin’s 16-year-old grandniece was hit by a car in Oregon wearing only black at night. She barely survived, and is now in a vegetative state. So sad! It’s no fault of the driver, who was found not to be liable. It’s costing the family millions for hospitalizations and home care.

Marcia Citta, Saratoga

A: I’m so sorry. Thank you for sharing a powerful story that could save others from tragedy.

Q: In your tips for trick-or-treaters column, you missed the most important one: please wear reflective vests or bands. They’re dirt-cheap and make pedestrians visible at night.

There is no better way to keep pedestrians, big and small, safe.

Malcolm Hoar

A: Important advice for pedestrians and bicyclists, too, at night.

Q: Your column title Sunday about “legal moves on the road” and your “yes” response to the reader who described a car using a bike lane to pass a bicyclist on the right and then return to the traffic lane seemed to indicate that such a move by the driver was legal, but it is not.

One may drive a car in a bike lane only to park, enter or leave a roadway, or prepare for a turn within 200 feet of an intersection (CVC Section 21209). The move described in the column was none of those.

Tim Zadel, San Jose

A: I didn’t mean to give the impression that the driver’s move was legal, so that does need correcting. Others also noted this.

Q: I read your column when I can — great job! In Sunday’s column, however, I read the first entry with dismay.

The cyclist was violating CVC 21208, which compels a cyclist to ride in a bicycle lane where one exists when traveling at a speed slower than the prevailing flow of traffic. So a cyclist “unnecessarily riding in the traffic lane and going slow” is in violation of CVC 21208.

A motorist passing a cyclist on the right by driving in the bicycle lane is unsafe, and in violation of CVC 21209(a). It says that no one can drive a motor vehicle in a bicycle lane except to park where parking is permitted, enter or leave the roadway, or prepare for a turn within 200 feet from an intersection.

By the way, passing a car waiting to make a left turn by encroaching on the bike lane is likewise illegal. As a cyclist, I encounter this too often to count.

In the end, both the cyclist and the driver were violating the law and causing a very unsafe situation.

Ken Nishimura

A: You’re right.

Look for Gary Richards at Facebook.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at mrroadshow@bayareanewsgroup.com.

David Russel

A: Yes, and the responses inconsiderate people create in others aren’t always bad ones. The situation you describe, however, could have been very dangerous.

Q: Caltrans has done a decent job on the overdue repairs and resurfacing of Highway 87. The only problem that I have is that the on- and off-ramps to Capitol Expressway leave something to be desired. They could be dangerous and they are leaving themselves open to lawsuits.

The approaches and on-ramp paving is more than 1 inch lower than the edges, creating a concealed lip. Also, the exit to Capitol Expressway has 2 lanes and one of them is almost 1½ inches lower than the other all the way down.

I’m just asking where the inspector is who approved this.

Jack Dyke

A: I checked with Victor-the-Caltrans-spokesman for Santa Clara County on this one. He said the current state of the ramps on isn’t their final condition. Repaving of the main roadway was done in late September and late October, and ramp work will be addressed within a week or two. More paving will also be done next year, as this is a significant rehabilitation project. For more information on the project, see https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-4/d4-projects/d4-santa-clara-sr87-roadway-rehabilitation.

Q: As we get ready for shorter days when most are driving home from work after dark, I’d like to remind all the Toyota drivers out there that, just because your dash lights are on, your headlights and taillights are not necessarily on. This “feature” may not be limited to Toyotas, but a high percentage of the cars I see driving blind at night are Toyotas.

Larry Edson, Campbell

A: It is a good reminder for all drivers to make sure their headlights and taillights are on, whatever vehicle they drive. The California DMV Driver’s Handbook says that no vehicle may be driven with only parking lights on.

It also says you must turn on your headlights if you are driving:

• During the time from a half hour after sunset to a half hour before sunrise
• If hazardous weather conditions require continuous use of windshield wipers
• When visibility is insufficient to be able to clearly see a person or vehicle for a distance of 1,000 feet

Look for Gary Richards at Facebook.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at mrroadshow@bayareanewsgroup.com.

This seems like a waste of fuel/battery charge and a safety concern at some short merges.

Russ Baker

A: Victor-the-Caltrans-spokesman for Santa Clara County said that advance warning signs were repaired on this connector and the metering light is working. I’m not sure this addresses all the concerns you raised. Please let me know if the situation has improved.

Q: A reader recently claimed that the suggestion that we report bike lane obstacles by calling 311 is impractical. He said the only option was to leave a voicemail there.

This is incorrect. When I’ve called, after choosing 1 for English, 5 took me to a human being at the police non-emergency number. However, when the call was about cars illegally parked in bike lanes, the dispatcher transferred me during weekday hours to 408-277-8900, a San Jose PD non-emergency line, where 0 got a human being who sent Code Enforcement to deal with the problem. Skip 311 and call 408-277-8900 during normal weekday hours.

Parked cars with no occupants are the most dangerous bike lane violators. Drivers who stop in bike lanes to use cell phones are almost as bad, but usually leave after several minutes.

Peter Ross, San Jose

A: Valuable to know.

Q: Historically, one of the busiest intersections in Santa Clara County is Almaden Expressway and Blossom Hill Road. The problem here is red light runners. Almost daily, I see people running the lights. It has gotten so bad that I recently counted six cars running the light at one time.

Before there is a major fatality here, I would like the city and county to study road-calming changes that could reduce the risk of driving through this dangerous intersection.

Steve Brock, San Jose

A: I will forward your recommendation.

Q: I’ve got a first-world problem. I commute over Highway 17 to work in Los Altos. Northbound, just south of Lexington Reservoir, a sign says “Road work, speed limit 40.” It has been there for years. There is no road work. Everyone knows to ignore it, except my dumb self-driving Tesla. It reads the sign and slows dangerously. Could you get Caltrans to remove that sign? That seems easier than teaching the car when to ignore signs.

Michael Sherman, Capitola

A: A first-world problem indeed, trouble training our cars.

Look for Gary Richards at facebook.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at mrroadshow@bayareanewsgroup.com.