BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — Drivers traveling on Bakersfield freeways may have noticed electronic signs carrying a straightforward warning: “slow down, speed kills” and “drive 100 miles per hour, lose your license.”
The California Highway Patrol says the signs are part of its public safety messaging aimed at reminding drivers about the dangers and potential consequences of speeding.
Officer Jorge Toro, public information officer for CHP Bakersfield, said speeding remains a significant factor in serious crashes.
“Speeding continues to be one of the primary crash factors for injury and fatality crashes,” Toro said.
Toro said officers encounter speeding drivers on a daily basis in the Bakersfield area.
“That’s every day. Every day,” Toro said. “It happens, it’s a daily thing.”
The freeway messaging also highlights the consequences drivers could face if they are caught traveling at extreme speeds.
“There should be no reason why you’re driving 100 miles or more,” Toro said.
FAST program targets drivers traveling more than 100 mph
Under FAST, a CHP citation for traveling more than 100 mph is automatically referred to the DMV Driver Safety Branch for review. The DMV reviews the incident and the driver’s record to determine whether immediate administrative action, including suspension or revocation of the driver’s license, is warranted. That review is separate from court proceedings and does not depend on a conviction.
Toro said the program adds another potential consequence for drivers traveling at triple-digit speeds.
“A DMV official reviews it along with your past driving record,” Toro said. “And you can potentially get your driver’s license suspended.”
The program is designed to allow the DMV to review those cases sooner instead of waiting for the accompanying traffic case to work its way through the court system.
“So now it’s really more for deterrence, right?” Toro said. “By you knowing that you could potentially get your license suspended, maybe that will be enough of a deterrent to get you to drive and obey our speed laws.”
Thousands of drivers referred to DMV
CHP says thousands of drivers have already been referred to the DMV through the program.
Hundreds of Bakersfield crashes attributed to unsafe speed
The dangers associated with speeding are also being seen locally.
Toro said 549 crashes in Bakersfield have been attributed to unsafe speed so far this year. Of those crashes, 185 resulted in injuries and seven were fatal.
He said drivers traveling at excessive speeds put themselves and everyone around them at risk because conditions on the road can change quickly.
“It’s harder to gain control of your vehicle at those speeds, and it’s really a recipe for disaster,” Toro said.
Attorney explains how FAST changes the process
Bakersfield attorney Kyle Humphrey, a certified specialist in criminal law, said one of the significant differences under FAST is how quickly the administrative process can move compared with waiting for a case to make its way through court.
“There are quick consequences, and in their mind, a very dangerous driver’s taken off the road,” Humphrey said.
Humphrey explained that the DMV process and the court process are separate.
“This isn’t a conviction, it’s a finding. It’s administrative,” Humphrey said. “And you don’t have the same rights that you would have in a criminal case, because it’s not criminal.”
Drivers still have an opportunity to challenge the DMV’s administrative action. Humphrey said the process gives drivers an opportunity to dispute what happened while allowing the DMV to consider factors including the driver’s history and circumstances surrounding the incident.
The official DMV description of FAST similarly says Driver Safety reviews both the incident and the driver’s record before determining whether immediate action against the person’s driving privileges is warranted.
Humphrey said the quicker administrative consequences are intended to make drivers think twice before reaching extreme speeds.
“The statistics show that these types of speeds cause death to other people,” Humphrey said. “And so if we tell you, we catch you doing it, we’re gonna take your license, maybe you won’t do it.”
For CHP, the message ultimately comes back to safety, and the risks drivers create for others when they choose to speed.
“It’s more than just about yourself,” Toro said. “We all have our families and our loved ones driving. Is it really worth it for you to cause an injury crash and injure not only yourself, but somebody else? It’s not worth it.”
CHP is urging drivers to obey posted speed limits and remember that traveling more than 100 mph can now trigger an automatic DMV review in addition to the driver’s separate court case.