Proposed bill sets eye on speeders

GLENDALE — Burbank police officials on Thursday backed a proposed bill that would add another point to the driving records of motorists who are leaning a little too heavily on the gas pedal.

Motorists caught driving 26 mph or more above a posted speed limit would get two points on their records if Assembly Bill 2669 passes through the Senate, Assemblyman Paul Krekorian said at a news conference at the Glendale Police Station.

Under current California law, motorists caught speeding are penalized a point on their driving records.

The No. 1 cause for collisions in Burbank is speeding, Burbank Police Chief Tim Stehr said.

“So many people seem to be speeding these days,” Stehr said.

He contends the law could help reduce collisions and will give police some “teeth” in enforcing speed.

At least one fatal collision In Burbank this year can be attributed to speeding, Stehr said.

The bill is “an effective tool to stopping this kind of recklessness,” Krekorian said.

Also in AB 2669, a motorist who is cited twice for driving 26 mph or more above a posted speed limit would immediately have their license revoked.

“Two offenses is enough,” said Krekorian, who introduced the bill in the state Assembly.

The bill has passed the Assembly, but is waiting for approval from the Senate Appropriations Committee to make it law.

Speeding issues have concerned Krekorian for many years, specifically after a fatal traffic collision in his mother’s Van Nuys neighborhood, he said.

In that collision, two cars were street racing, and one of the cars spun out of control. A man exiting his parked vehicle was struck and killed, Krekorian said.

“This is something that has frustrated me for a long time,” said Krekorian, who represents cities including Burbank.

“These reckless, careless drivers don’t seem to care if they get a ticket, but we hope they care if we take their license away.” Krekorian has named the proposed bill “Elizabeth’s Law” after Elizabeth Sandoval, who was killed July 10, 2007, after being hit by a vehicle as she crossed South Glendale Avenue just south of East Windsor Road in Glendale.

The man who struck Sandoval, Ara Grigoryan, was captured two weeks after the incident in Mexico City. Grigoryan is being held on a hit-and-run murder charge.