Q: I know it’s not a priority for some people, but do you know if there is a longer-than-usual delay for issuing carpool lane stickers for electric cars?
I sent in my application on June 16 and am still waiting. My check hasn’t even been cashed yet and there’s no way to check my application status. I’m thinking of sending another application in, just in case the first one was lost.
Gene del Pilar
A: Give it a few more days. The delay is likely caused by DMV safety measures and protocols implemented due to the ongoing pandemic, in combination with an increased volume of clean-air-vehicle sticker applications. The department’s current processing time is 8 to 10 weeks from the time the application was received.
Q: I am waiting for tags on my travel trailer. On the DMV website it says it can take 30 days if you mailed in your renewal. I sent in my check on July 1 and they cashed it over a month ago. Still no tags.
Susan McClory, San Jose
A: More delays here, as well. There is another option for AAA members: They can now take care of some DMV services, such as renewing stickers, at the local AAA branch office.
Q: The idea that speed is being checked by radar is a deadly joke, but worse are the flashing signs that show the speed limit, then the speed of cars going by at well beyond the speed limit, with the words “slow down,” which absolutely no one does.
Is there any supposed method to this madness, or do we need an authoritarian system that electronically records speeds and fines drivers automatically? If not, do we just get used to killing more than 100 people a day on our roads?
Frank Scott
A: These warning signs do help reduce speeding, but more help is needed. The state needs to approve legislation to allow studies of traffic cameras on city streets in San Jose, San Francisco and other locations. This would enable them to test the effectiveness of these cameras and automatic tickets for drivers exceeding the posted speed limit by a defined margin.
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