Should you keep old proof-of-car-insurance cards?

QLa Verne resident Mike Capps asked about his car registration and proof-of-insurance cards.

(Capps said that, when he receives the new cards in the mail, they are often dated to take effect at a much later date. For example, he said, he might receive his new insurance card Feb. 15 but his existing card is effective through April 1, which is when the new card takes effect.)

“Do I need to keep the current ones until they expire, or can I throw those out and just keep the new ones since obviously I’m going to be covered under insurance, even if their effective dates have yet to begin?” he asked.

ACalifornia law requires drivers to have proof of registration and insurance, so if you are pulled over, the officer may ask to see these along with your license.

Insurers and the Department of Motor Vehicles send out new cards early to make sure the customer receives them before the current cards expire, and to give the customer plenty of time to get a replacement if the card doesn’t arrive on time.

It’s anyone’s guess what any individual police officer would think if an insurance or registration card date isn’t current. Why be bothered with a possible fix-it ticket? It doesn’t hurt or cost you anything to keep the current cards on hand until the new ones arrive or take effect. So it’s best to just hang on to the current cards, too.

QSusan Barajas runs a couple of times a week in Rancho Cucamonga, where she lives, often on the sidewalks of major streets.

“Yesterday, once again, a bicyclist was also on the sidewalk despite there being a marked bike lane in the street. As the bicyclist was going downhill, he had gathered quite a bit of speed. It can be difficult to avoid the cyclist, especially on narrow segments of the sidewalk or where it’s not possible to move off the sidewalk to let the cyclist go by,” she said.

Barajas asked if it’s legal for a bicyclist to ride on the sidewalk when marked bike lanes are present.

AIndividual cities and counties control whether bicyclists may ride on sidewalks as per California Vehicle Code section 21206, so bike lane laws can vary by city or county, depending on local ordinances.

It is legal to ride a bike on the sidewalk in Rancho Cucamonga, but it depends where you are, said Gloria Huerta, a spokeswoman for the San Bernardino

County Sheriff’s Department, which polices Rancho Cucamonga. “There is no statewide law prohibiting it. There are no restrictions against riding a bicycle on the sidewalk in Rancho Cucamonga unless there is a posted sign prohibiting it.”

Generally, for safety reasons, bicyclists should ride in marked bike lanes if they are present, and not on sidewalks. Pedestrians and bicyclists sharing the same small space is dangerous and collisions can cause injuries.

If you are a frequent jogger or bicyclist, it’s best to contact your city or police department to learn what’s allowed in your city. You can also report to the police recurring problems of bicyclists on sidewalks in certain areas and ask for enforcement if it’s not allowed in your city or posted as illegal in a certain area. In the case of our reader, it might be safer for her to jog on a less crowded street that isn’t frequented by bicyclists.

Do you commute to work in the Inland Empire? Spend a lot of time in your vehicle? Have questions about driving, freeways or parking? If so, write or call On the Road. Please include your question or issue, name, city of residence, phone number and email address. Write ontheroad@scng.com or call 951-368-9670.