AB 1978: Vehicles: speed contests.

(1)Existing law prohibits a person from engaging in a motor vehicle speed contest or exhibition of speed on a highway or in an offstreet parking facility. Existing law also prohibits a person from obstructing or placing a barricade or obstruction upon a highway or in an offstreet parking facility for the purpose of facilitating or aiding any motor vehicle speed contest or exhibition, as specified.

This bill would authorize a peace officer to not take a person into custody for a violation of obstructing or placing a barricade or obstruction upon a highway or in an offstreet parking facility for the purpose of facilitating or aiding a motor vehicle speed contest or exhibition of speed, as specified, if the peace officer causes the removal and seizure of the vehicle used to commit that offense.

(2)Existing law authorizes a peace officer or a regularly employed and salaried employee who is engaged in directing traffic or enforcing parking laws and regulations to remove a vehicle when, among other things, the officer arrests a person driving or in control of a vehicle for an alleged offense, and the officer is, by the Vehicle Code or other law, required or permitted to take, and does take, the person into custody.

This bill would revise these provisions to authorize a peace officer to remove a vehicle pursuant to these provisions without taking a person into custody when the alleged offense is a violation of obstructing or placing a barricade or obstruction upon a highway or in an offstreet parking facility for the purpose of facilitating or aiding a motor vehicle speed contest or exhibition of speed, as specified.

(3)This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 22651 of the Vehicle Code proposed by AB 1082 to be operative only if this bill and AB 1082 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.