Lawmakers Urge More Cities to Repeal Cruising Bans

Weeks after the City of Sacramento repealed its decades-old anti-cruising law, state lawmakers are urging other cities to do the same.

The California Assembly passed Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 176 last week. It urges local governments to abandon cruising prohibitions and partner with local car clubs to promote lowrider events and culture in their communities. There was no opposition to the resolution. It now heads to the Senate for a vote.

ACR 176 defines cruising as “the custom of leisurely driving on urban boulevards in dropped and dolled-up vehicles, that includes meetups of lowrider, vintage, and custom vehicle owners.” It notes that cruising became a popular pastime after World War II, especially with individuals of Mexican heritage, before gaining popularity in hip-hop culture.

“…The Legislature celebrates the history and culture of cruising and encourages local officials and law enforcement to work with local car clubs to conduct safe cruising events,” the resolution reads.

Far from embracing lowrider culture, a number of cities in California still have laws on the books that make cruising illegal. These laws “wrongfully stereotype law-abiding car owners and conflate them with illegal street racers and sideshows who are and should be prosecuted for putting public lives in danger,” said ACR 176’s author Assemblymember Luz Rivas (D-North Hollywood). “It’s time for locals to follow these cities and repeal this archaic traffic law.”

One example is National City, which outlawed cruising in 1992. Lowriding advocates there have been trying to get the law repealed. National City leaders haven’t embraced the idea yet, but Mayor Alejandra Sotelo-Solis said she’s “encouraged to learn more about how communities around the state are working with law enforcement, city staff and the lowrider car clubs to create a safe cruising and family-friendly environment.”