StudiGuide 28: California Traffic Enforcement

This comprehensive StudiGuide course is designed as a practice review and testing resource for police academy cadets preparing for the California POST written examinations. It aligns directly with the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) requirements, offering targeted content to help you pass your POST exam.

Master key areas of traffic law and enforcement, including:

• Magistrate Appearances: Understand the difference between mandatory and optional appearances before a magistrate.
• Traffic Violations: Thoroughly recognize the elements and common names for a wide range of traffic offenses, such as:
  • Failure to obey a peace officer's orders
  • Traffic control signal violations (red lights, stop signs, signals)
  • Right-of-way violations (failure to yield, emergency vehicles)
  • Bicyclist rights and provisions
  • Pedestrian violations
  • Turning and signaling violations
  • Speed violations (speed laws, maximum speeds)
  • Driving and passing violations (following too closely, unsafe lane changes, passing maneuvers, passing school buses)
  • Public offense violations (reckless driving, speed contests, distracted driving – hand-held wireless devices)
  • Hit and run violations
• Vehicle Requirements: Learn about basic motor vehicle licensing and registration requirements, and basic vehicle equipment requirements for vehicles on highways.
• Impairment & DUI: Understand violations involving alcohol in a motor vehicle and Driving Under the Influence (DUI).
• Vehicle Removal: Recognize a peace officer’s legal authority to remove vehicles.
• Identifying Impairment: Recognize driving behaviors that suggest a driver may be impaired by alcohol or drugs, and identify indications a peace officer may observe during contact.
• Field Sobriety Tests (FSTs): Recognize appropriate officer actions when a subject refuses to cooperate with a Field Sobriety Test.

In-Depth Discussions:

• Arrest Procedures: Discuss the elements and relevant Vehicle Code sections governing arrest.
• Medical Conditions & Impairment: Discuss medical conditions that can mimic the effects of alcohol.
• Statutory Admonition: Discuss the primary elements of the statutory admonition given to drivers refusing chemical sobriety tests.

Practical Demonstrations:

• Traffic Control: Demonstrate effective use of hand signals, flashlights, and other warning devices for traffic control.
• Field Sobriety Tests: Demonstrate various FSTs used to assess impairment, including Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN), One-Leg Stand (OLS), and Walk & Turn (WAT).

Key Concepts Explained:

• Traffic Enforcement & Public Safety: Explain the relevance of traffic enforcement to public safety and quality of life.
• Probable Cause: Explain how traffic enforcement can establish probable cause for broader law enforcement objectives.
• Vehicle Code Organization: Explain the organization of information within the Vehicle Code.
• "Under the Influence": Explain the meaning of the phrase "under the influence" in a legal context.