One-year license extension has limits
QBarbara Kirsch of Yucaipa asked about driver license extensions for people over the age of 70 with regard to the one-year automatic extension granted last year by the California Department of Motor Vehicles. She asked if drivers need to have a new printed license for this year (2021) and if so, how to get one. On the side, Kirsch mentioned that she has been driving for 70 years and has never had a ticket. Congratulations to Kirsch for her exemplary driving record!
AThe one-year automatic license extension for those 70 and older applies only to senior drivers whose licenses expired in 2020, during part of which the DMV offices were closed, DMV spokesman Nicholas Filipas said. While the extensions are automatic, drivers will not receive a new card or paper license extension in the mail, and they don’t need one. Law enforcement knows all about this and won’t ask for a new piece of paper.
FYI: For people who must visit their local DMV office, know that everyone who enters a DMV office must wear a face covering or mask, physical distancing is enforced, and people will have their temperature checked. The number of people allowed in the DMV offices at any one time also is being limited. Most drivers under the age of 70, in certain circumstances, can renew their license by mail also even if their renewal notice says to visit an office. Visit https:// www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/ to
check.
Know Your Alerts: AMBER,
Blue and Silver. Most drivers are familiar with AMBER Alerts by now but California has a few other emergency alerts, and it’s important to know what to do when you hear about one.
Here’s what you should know from the California Highway Patrol:
The America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response (AMBER) Alert is part of a nationwide voluntary partnership between law enforcement agencies and the media. AMBER alerts were developed following the 1996 kidnapping and murder of 9-yearold Amber Hagerman in Texas in an effort to help find and return kidnapped children, with help from the media and the public.
AMBER Alerts go out when a child or disabled person is abducted, whether it’s a relative or stranger, and law enforcement believes the victim is “in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death.” Information is released to the public. People who witness an abduction should call 911 immediately to report it, including details like location, descriptions of the child and suspect, and the suspect vehicle, if you can get this information.
A Blue Alert means a law enforcement officer was killed or injured in an attack and police are searching for a fleeing suspect, again, seeking the public’s help. Blue Alerts are issued if it’s believed the suspect is a danger to the public or law enforcement, and that informing the public can help police catch the suspect. Those who see a Blue Alert suspect should immediately call 911 to report as many details as possible, like location and suspect vehicle information.
Finally, Silver Alerts are issued when a person 65 or older, or a cognitively impaired person, disappears under suspicious or unexplained circumstances and law enforcement believes the person is in danger. As with the AMBER and Blue Alerts, anyone who locates the missing person in a Silver Alert should call
911 immediately to report their location.
Commute to work in the Inland Empire? Spend a lot of time in your vehicle? Have questions? If so, write or call On the Road and for answers. Include your question or issue, name, city of residence, phone number and email address. Write ontheroad@pe.com or call 951-368-9670.