DMV

I wouldn’t call it an atmospheric river, because those come and go. DMV mail falls in a never-ending rain, without regard to seasons.Not that it’s all bad news from readers who, like good soldiers, dutifully report every development from the front lines of the battle to renew their driver’s licenses.Rosa Maria Juarez, 94, shared a success story. The Montebello resident, who assured me she’s a safe and conscientious driver, passed easily and offered to coach me when I take the test later this year.Here’s a pro tip from…

Autonomous tests with a safety driver rose to 5.7 million miles from 5.1 million, DMV data from Dec. 1, 2022 to Nov. 30, 2023 showed.Completely driverless vehicles traveled nearly 3.3 million miles in California last year, over five times the previous year's total, even as concerns rose in the wake of a Cruise robotaxi accident, state data on vehicle testing released on Friday showed.General Motors' Cruise and Alphabet's Waymo accounted for the bulk of the miles - 63%…

When it comes to the California DMV, is this a case of brand new year, same old tune?It’s a positive sign that the massive bureaucracy’s director has been checking out reader complaints about the license renewal process for drivers after age 70, and here’s a news bulletin:He’s even tossing out some of the crazy test questions that many of you have been griping about.I’ll get to that in a moment, but first let’s dip into the mail bag, which continues to overflow with tales from the Department of Motor Vehicles. Dave…

This spring, Largo, Maryland, rapper Q Da Fool was prepping his comeback album after a two-year prison stint. But after only two months home, he was arrested for “promoting violence” after dropping a song and going on Instagram Live. He says his probation officer arrested him and told him they were incarcerating him for his own safety. It’s unclear what the exact charge was, but Q served another two months in jail before coming home again and deciding to overhaul his creative approach into what’s become Art of…

When most folk think about flying cars, we think of machines that seamlessly convert from street to air mode, that can take off and land vertically, and that can cruise in the air and on the highway. The US$789,000 Aska A5 promises to do it all. The ambition wrapped up in this project is breathtaking. It's not an easily-registered three-wheeler, it's a four-seat car the size of an SUV, capable of traveling at highway speeds. It'll look completely ridiculous doing so, but it's capable. Not only does it convert to an eVTOL…

To the editor: Driver licenses should not be so easy to renew, no matter how old you are. If you have had tickets or an accident, you should have to prove that you still having driving skills and knowledge. Hurtling down roads in a deadly weapon is not a right, but a privilege. (“Who’s more dangerous behind the wheel — drivers 70 and older, or 30 and younger?” column, March 25)If you have lived with somebody who suffers from dementia, you know that judgment diminishes, but the belief that one is a safe driver does not.…

Veteran actor Dick Van Dyke escaped serious injury in a solo car crash last week but a report said that police have submitted paperwork to the Department of Motor Vehicles, asking the agency to re-test the 97-year-old’s driving abilities due to his advanced age. This move isn’t unheard of after police respond to the scene of an accident involving a senior driver. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports, older adults’ driving abilities can be affected by changes in vision, physical function and ability to…

Google's self-driving unit Waymo has announced that it will start its "driverless rides" pilot programme in San Francisco in the coming weeks.The company has received a permit for its driverless pilot programme from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), which allows autonomous vehicle (AV) companies to take passengers in test AVs without a driver, reports said.However, self-driving units are still prohibited from charging for rides.Read AlsoWaymo already received approval from the Department of Motor Vehicles…

Tesla reluctantly gave a Full Self-Driving Beta demonstration to the California DMV and some critics advising the agency that the automaker didn’t want present. Lately, Tesla has been under pressure from the California DMV over its Autopilot and self-driving claims, which the agency believes could be deceptive. Earlier this summer, Tesla and the DMV went back and forth about the Full Self-Driving (FSD) Beta rollout and marketing around the Full Self-Driving Beta package. It came after the agency had been under…

Tesla is in hot water with California DMV over its Autopilot and self-driving claims, which the agency believes are deceptive. The company has two weeks to respond to the inquiry or it risks temporarily losing its licenses to operate as a vehicle manufacturer and auto dealer in California. Over the years, Tesla has been criticized for how it advertises its Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS). One of the main concerns has been the actual names of the system ‘Autopilot’ and ‘Full Self-Driving Capability’. Some…