The state of California is looking seriously at instituting or allowing local governments to institute zero-emission zones in the near future. In preparation for such a move, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) reportedly is gathering information about classic cars and how their owners use them. We knew something like this was coming to the US and California would likely be first, but this is still concerning.
According to a Daily Caller report, on August 2 CARB sent a survey to owners of classic cars from model year 1978 or earlier. The questions were aimed at ascertaining how those classics are used and store, as well as where they’re driven. It even asks about how many miles show on owners’ odometers. Knowing how increasingly authoritarian many government agencies seems to be trending, this is concerning to many car enthusiasts who still live in the Golden State.
Back in the day, California was arguably the epicenter of cool car culture with many legendary brands, builders, and other hobbyists emerging from the state. That all emerged at a time when individual expression, not institutionalized expression, reigned supreme. Unfortunately, that looks to be going the way of the dodo before long.
Daily Caller also points out how CARB issued a report back in 2019 suggesting the state should allow “local jurisdictions to create zero-emissions zones.” If that sounds a little too similar to the ULEZ zones that have taken over all of London’s boroughs in the UK, with plate readers fining people daily for violations, you’re not alone.
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