For bridges in the Bay Area, the Tesla needs both the white stickers and a Fast Track pass. There is a 50% or so discount on the toll, and if the sensor can't read the Fast Track Pass, it will photograph your license plate and treat it as if it read it. You can also drive in the car pool lanes in the Bay Area. The Bay Area lanes are limited in time, while the LA lanes are generally (all?) 24 hours a day.
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techiesjc
Member
Exactly! Once my Model S P85+ was wrapped - I got the decals and am placing them on... that way the paint is totally protected! :wink:
Just do what I do, keep the stickers in the glove box and drive in the HOV lanes. 99.999% of the time the cop knows it's an EV (even they even are interested in pulling you over) and IF they pull you over, act dumb and just say you haven't had a chance to put the stickers on yet. Now, if the cop is an a-hole (which he would be if going to this next step) and writes you a ticket, simply get the ticket written off after you show proof of having the stickers- or, in my case, have your CHP friend write the ticket off 
ill never stick those things on my car!! Not worth it, I'd rather pay a fee or not use the HOV lanes than to ruin the appearance of a car like the Model S.
ill never stick those things on my car!! Not worth it, I'd rather pay a fee or not use the HOV lanes than to ruin the appearance of a car like the Model S.
Just an FYI. southern cal toll road discussion already in the California forum: California: Free 91/110/10 Express Lane Access
GoBlue88
Member
I agree, which is why I only put the small one on the rear lower grey plastic bumper below the thin red tail light. Exactly how poster AEDennis did in the pic in this post: California DMV - Plates HOV Stickers - Page 38
The big ones are in my glove compartment. None of those stickers are ever touching my paint. Michael M.'s pic makes me all :scared:
I live in the greater Los Angeles area so there is not only a need for these damn stickers but also a decent chance of getting pulled over for not having them. I have friends who are in the CHP and they would not buy the BS excuses of forgetting to put them on the car when you have them in your glovebox. I don't think it will hurt my resale either. Worst case is that the next owner buys a new bumper.
GoBlue88
Member
What do your CHP friends say about people only having the rear sticker and not the side stickers?
Next time I talk to one of them, I'll ask. But I suspect that the answer is the same. If you could put it on the back, then you know how to comply with the law, so then you really have no excuse. Personally, as fast as I drive, I don't want to give them any reason to choose to pull me over when they have the option to ignore me.
GoBlue88
Member
Except that the law does not state that you have to put 3 stickers on your car, nor does it state the locations of the stickers. The relevant law cited by the DMV is CAV 5205.5 and CAV 21655.9.
CAV 5205.5 states the types of vehicles that qualify and that "the Department of the California Highway Patrol and the department, in consultation with the Department of Transportation, shall design and specify the placement of the decal, label, or other identifier on the vehicle." (paragraph f). That law only directs the CHP and the DOT to determine placement. It does not say that the exact placement must be followed by the vehicle owner.
CAV 21655.9 states that "A person shall not drive a vehicle described in subdivision (a) of Section 5205.5 with a single occupant upon a high-occupancy vehicle lane pursuant to this section unless the decal, label, or other identifier issued pursuant to Section 5205.5 is properly displayed on the vehicle, and the vehicle registration described in Section 5205.5 is with the vehicle." (paragraph (B)(b)). This law states that the vehicle must display a decal. It does not state that 3 decals must be displayed.
Given that I am displaying a decal, I am fully in compliance with 21655.9. Given that I am driving a compliant vehicle, I am fully in compliance with 5205.5.
Because i'm only an occassional user of the HOV lanes, I choose not uglify my car with those stickers. Rather, when I know my route will involve HOV lanes, I tape the large decals in the small side windows. Would seem CS if a ticket was issued because the location of the sticker is off by a couple feet, but is clearly visible. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!:wink:
GoBlue88
Member
Yeah it would be real silly if you are displaying at least 1 sticker in a spot where a cop can see it from behind or the side and he still gives you a ticket for not having all 3 in the "right locations". I bet that would be an easy one to get dismissed.
My car isn't wrapped, but I just asked my detailer to handle it. He applied a rectangle of 3M bra (after doing a detailing job) and then applied the sticker to the bra material. Works great.
Gizmotoy
Active Member
I can't comment on the ease of getting them dismissed, but there's a guy in my building with a Fiat 500e that got a HOV violation for only having the small sticker on his rear bumper. This came up at a Plug In America event last year and a Leaf owner there had gotten a ticket for something similar: he put one of the big stickers on his passenger side rear bumper (where it'd be visible for those in the non-HOV highway lanes in the Bay Area) and that's it. CHP was apparently not impressed with either configuration.
So it definitely happens.
IMO, if I'm going to risk a ticket but not putting on all the stickers, I might as well put no stickers on at all. Why spoil the look of the car AND still risk a ticket every time I get in the lane?
GoBlue88
Member
The small rear sticker on the lower grey plastic bumper doesn't look horrible. Most of the time I don't even notice it is there.
The giant side sticker on the rear quarter panel = massive eyesore.
The giant side sticker on the rear quarter panel = massive eyesore.
I think you fail to appreciate that the law directs the CHP and CA DOT to "specify" how the HOV stickers are to be mounted and displayed on vehicles, and they have clearly done so: three stickers in specific locations which are clearly described in the instructions provided with the stickers. Laws passed by the legislature do not have to describe in detail how a state agency implements the laws, they merely have to described an objective and then leave it to the agency to implement it.
If you try to persuade an officer of the law, or a judge, that because the law says "decal" (singular) you only have to display one decal somewhere on your car instead of the three issued to you, I think you will lose that argument. But good luck to you in your efforts to circumvent the published state regulations on HOV stickers, as I don't like them any more than you do: three stickers seems excessive.
GoBlue88
Member
The ACA is about to go in front of the Supreme Court again because of a single word. It happens. :wink:
I ain't putting the big stickers on my rear quarter panels, no way no how. On the off-chance a cop wants to make an issue about it because I only have the sticker on my rear bumper, then I'll deal with whatever the consequences are.
I personally don't see the big deal. I was proud to wear my hov decals while I had my Teslas.
The main thing is not giving a cop one more reason to pull you over.
Then again I've gone through 2 P85s in 10 months so maybe I don't have such an attachment to the paint.
The main thing is not giving a cop one more reason to pull you over.
Then again I've gone through 2 P85s in 10 months so maybe I don't have such an attachment to the paint.
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