Q: Susan Hedge uses an accessible parking placard to park in and around Riverside and the Lake Matthews area where she lives. Hedge said several stores appear to be changing some of their parking spots designated for those with disabilities and putting signs up that say, “package pickup.” She asked if she may use her accessible parking placard to park in those spaces.
A: The answer is no. The parking spaces our reader inquired about are designated for package pickup, so she can’t park there unless she is picking up a package.
“If she did, the store would have to have her towed since it is on private property. In other words, park at your own risk,” said Sgt. Ryan Hodge of the Riverside Police Department.
215 Freeway lanes
Q: Scott Clay of San Bernardino asked why the California Highway Patrol “allows” semis and vehicles towing and over three axles to drive in the No. 2 lane on the 215 Freeway when there are signs saying trucks must stay in the two right lanes.
A: On the Road gets asked questions like this often. It’s unfortunate and frustrating, but truckers often drive in the wrong lanes across the Inland Empire and elsewhere too, either because the drivers want to, or they are from another state and don’t know California’s lane laws (or pay attention to freeway signs). This isn’t an excuse, just an explanation. The CHP can’t patrol everywhere, all the time, to catch every violator; there will never be enough officers.
We should point out that under California Vehicle Code section 21655, lane restrictions apply only to specific vehicle types, not to vehicle length alone. The requirement to remain in the two right lanes on freeways with four or more lanes heading in one direction applies to trucks with three or more axles and any vehicle towing a trailer, unless otherwise posted by signs. Vehicle size or length by itself does not trigger lane restrictions. Many U-Haul trucks, for example, are two axle vehicles and are not towing trailers so are not legally restricted to the two right lanes.
Commercial vehicle inspection results
Finally, because On the Road does receive complaints like this about the lack of enforcement against big trucks driving around the Inland Empire, we’d like to share the results of a multi-agency commercial vehicle inspection operation last month on Main Street between Alamo Street and Columbia Avenue in Riverside.
Officers from the California Highway Patrol, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, and city police departments from San Bernardino, Ontario, Rialto, Chino and Garden Grove inspected over 250 commercial vehicles for safety issues on Aug. 5. Multi-agency enforcement operations like this are sometimes how law enforcement proactively enforce rules with regard to commercial trucks that they can’t catch out on the road.
In this case, officers issued 135 citations, took six vehicles out of service, and had six trucks or trailers towed.
The inspection turned up four unlicensed drivers, a driver with a suspended license, and two vehicles with hazardous material-related violations, according to the Riverside Police Department. Other violations included unsafe loads, braking system defects, being too wide, axle restriction violations, speeding and handheld cellphone use, the department said.
Do you commute to work in the Inland Empire? Spend a lot of time in your vehicle? Have questions about driving, freeways, toll roads or parking? If so, write or call On the Road and we’ll try to answer your questions. Please include your question or issue, name, city of residence, phone number and email address. Write ontheroad@scng.com or call 951-368-9995. Note that we may use material from letters or phone calls in future columns.