Sacramento, CA – In a landmark decision, California is set to lift its decades-long ban on lowrider cruising starting January 1, 2024. This move marks a significant turn for the state’s automotive culture, particularly for communities that have long cherished the tradition of cruising in their custom vehicles.
Historical Context and Controversy of the Ban
Cruising, a practice where drivers showcase their classic, often customized lowrider cars by leisurely riding through city streets, has been a part of California’s cultural fabric since as early as the 1980s. However, the activity was banned in several cities during the 1980s and 1990s. Lawmakers at the time associated cruising with gang violence, a claim that has been criticized as being racially motivated against Hispanic and Black communities. Despite the ability to legally drive lowriders, the anti-cruising law effectively prohibited the cars from being driven in groups and in their iconic lowered forms.
The Lift of the Ban
The repeal of the cruising ban, signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom, will now allow lowriders to be driven in groups and in their lowered forms, with modifications such as parts extending from the bodywork to below the bottom of the rims, like ‘kerb feelers’. This legislative change is a response to decades of criticism that lowrider cruising interfered with local businesses, wasted law enforcement resources, impeded traffic, and caused pollution and noise. However, supporters argue that the ban disproportionately targeted specific communities, causing them to be seen as criminals for simply enjoying their automotive passion.