The ‘California Roll’ is Costing Drivers Millions — Here’s Why
A California government agency has been secretly filming and issuing tickets to drivers for the “California roll.” Here’s what you should know.
If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of the California roll, or “California stop,” it’s basically coming to a stop sign and not fully stopping before proceeding. Although it’s a common practice, it is technically against the law.
According to Jalopnik, however, a lesser-known California government agency has been issuing millions of dollars worth of tickets by secretly filming drivers. The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) has reportedly issued 17,000 California roll tickets annually, bringing in about $1.1 million in revenue.
It’s worth noting that the MRCA is an official government agency, but it is not affiliated with any law enforcement organization. Instead, it’s an agency tasked with the “acquisition, preservation and protection of open space, wildlife habitat, and urban, mountain and river parkland that is easily accessible to the public.”
The agency oversees more than 75,000 acres of park and wilderness lands in Southern California. More specifically, it oversees lands in the Santa Monica Mountains north of Los Angeles, so the agency’s ticketing practices are less of a concern for those driving in San Diego.
On the other hand, the tickets themselves are sneaky. They’re not technically traffic tickets or actual citations. Instead, the tickets are described as “administrative citations,” and some legal experts told LA media that their authority is questionable.
Despite the fact that the California roll tickets aren’t technically vehicle code citations, they could still spell trouble for drivers. If you don’t pay them, you won’t face legal consequences — but you may see a hit to your credit score because they can go into collections.
All of this is to say that you should come to a complete stop at all stop signs and follow other driving code regulations. Even if these tickets aren’t technically citations, it’s still best to follow the law and avoid them.
On the other hand, given that San Diego is the best California city for drivers, these types of practices may be less of a concern.
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Mike Peterson is a writer, editor, and strategist based in San Diego. When he’s not writing and editing the La Jolla news, you can often find him practicing yoga, rock climbing, or exploring the outdoors with his wife and dog.
