Lebec, California Speed Traps

I cannot stress enough that this is a major revenue-producing area. CHP wait with radar or lidar in or near a rest area at the bottom of a straight, 2-3 mile long downhill section at the top of the Grapevine. Very easy to exceed the limit in this area if you’re not paying attention. Almost always a car or two pulled over when I go through this area.

I recently went to the little courthouse in Taft for a radar ticket in the Lamont area and got it dismissed (cop didn’t show – always fight those tickets!!), and nearly all of the cases I observed while waiting my turn were radar or lidar tickets for I-5 northbound near the Fort Tejon rest area. The cops who did show obviously attend court on a regular basis, brought all of the requisite training certificates with them, and had snappy responses to all defenses given. Judge did reduce penalty for some 90+ drivers and offered traffic school to those who didn’t win their cases.

CHP sits behind wall on on-ramp. Very hard to see white roof over white wall. Laser or Ka Band

Laser: Was hit with laser as I left Lebec at 0645 on a Saturday morning in early March 2010; however, I was not cited, for I was only going 55; my understanding is that the CHP has to be stationary in order to activate the laser, and for it to read accurately. At many other locations I was shot with Ka with a very strong signal strength level each time. A must-have when you drive the Grapevine either north or southbound.

The CHP sits under a tree along the frontage road fence line near the fire station, and are invisible to north bound travelers until it’s to late. They are there on a very regular basis.