Cop Talk: Is it legal to have two driver's licenses?

Monty Hight, Redding

Q: Is it legal to have a valid driver's license in more than one state? We spend part of the year in another state and it would be very convenient to have a driver's license in each state for identification and insurance purposes.

Monty Height - columnist

A: Answer to your first question is no. You can only have one driver's license. So let's say you spend your winters in California and summers in South Dakota. In most instances you need to select where you want to be or are a resident of. This can be done based on many different factors, including where you are registered to vote, have a homeowner's tax exemption and earn an income. So for the sake of this discussion, let's say you are a resident of South Dakota but as soon as the snow starts to fly, you high-tail it back to California. If you want, you can get a California identification card without giving up your South Dakota driver's license.

As far as insurance is concerned, I spoke with a AAA Insurance spokesperson and was informed that the company will insure your vehicle where it is garaged the majority of the time, which is generally in the same state in which it is registered.

If you are one of those people who spend exactly six months in each state, then lawfully you are required to register your vehicle in both states, more commonly known as a dual resident, and pay six months of insurance in each state.

I know that it seems like a lot of effort, but some folks will do a lot to stay warm.

Q: It seems that commuting around town on a motorcycle would be cheaper these days than driving a car. I have a young son, and I am wondering what the minimum age would be for him to ride as a passenger in a sidecar. The information I have found online suggests there is no minimum age limit but that DOT does not make helmets for children under 5.

A: I am in no way suggesting that you, as a parent, or anyone considering transporting their small child on a motorcycle or in a motorcycle sidecar is better or worse than I am or was with small children. But given everything I have learned and observed during my 30-plus years with the CHP, why would you?

I did go online and found DOT-approved helmets for small children with head sizes 17 inches or greater, but there are way too many other things that can go wrong with a small child as a passenger on a motorcycle or in a sidecar.

Bottom line, you can transport your child in the sidecar with an approved DOT helmet, but please think about spending the extra fuel money and providing him a safer mode of transportation.

My proposal to the Legislature on this issue is really very simple. Every child currently required to be transported in an approved child safety seat, which basically includes children under 6 or who weigh less than 60 pounds, shall not be transported on or in a vehicle not designed and equipped with an approved safety belt system.

I realize that as a young child it was great fun to ride on the back of a motorcycle and hang on for dear life as we went cruising down the roadway with no helmets. I too am very familiar with the large numbers of very serious injuries and deaths associated with riders and passengers thrown from or who fall off the back of these bikes.

I say all this while being a supporter of motorcycle riding and the freedom of the ride. Here in California we have very strict motorcycle laws. Yet in some instances you can do things here, such as split traffic when lawful, that are not lawful in most other states.

California was a leader when it came to child passenger safety, but the two have not come together on this issue. When given the decision between lawful and safest, you can guess where I take a stand.

I realize that the bloggers are going to have a field day when it comes to the state mandating how we transport ourselves, let alone our children, but the fact of the matter remains the same. As parents and caregivers we have to protect our children so that they have the opportunity to grow up and make their own decisions — one of which is to go out and enjoy the ride.