Schwarzenegger packing motorbike insurance but no license

Posted : 13-01-2006

The governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has escaped prosecution for driving and crashing his motorbike without a license.

The former movie legend-turned-politician Schwarzenegger was riding his Harley Davidson with his 12 year old son Patrick, just north of his California home when a car reversed into the road in front of them last weekend.

Thankfully both were wearing helmets, so neither sustained serious injuries.

However, it has now emerged that Schwarzenegger had insurance for the bike, but no license.

"I just never really got one," the governor said. "I never thought about it."

He said he had a European driver's license to drive motorcycles, motorcycles with sidecars, trucks and tanks, but had never bothered to apply for one when he moved to the US.

California Highway Patrol spokesman Tom Marshall and Department of Motor Vehicles spokesman Mike Miller said the law is different for motorcycles with sidecars attached, so the Class C license Schwarzenegger holds is adequate to legally drive that type of motorcycle.

However, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), which investigated the accident, said a motorcycle endorsement is required to legally operate the motorcycle - even if it did have a sidecar attached.

Despite their conclusions, Lt. Paul Vernon said Los Angeles police officers who investigated the governor's accident did not issue any citations because they did not see him operating the motorcycle.

Mr Vernon said the LAPD determined Schwarzenegger had insurance but not whether that insurance would be valid if he were driving illegally.

The Hollywood legend was previously involved in a motorcycle crash in December 2004 when he broke four ribs and was hospitalised for four days.


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