As the new year approaches, California drivers are gearing up for major changes in traffic laws, which will affect the approximately 27 million drivers in the state due to the enactment of over a dozen new traffic safety laws signed by Governor Gavin Newsom. These laws cover a broad spectrum, from altering how officers engage with drivers during traffic stops to introducing new safety programs aimed at decreasing pedestrian fatalities.
One major change is brought about by Assembly Bill 256, which deals with vehicle registration. Starting from July 1, 2024, a violation related to the registration sticker displayed on a vehicle’s rear license plate can no longer be the sole reason for an officer to pull over a driver for enforcement action, until the second month after the expiration of a vehicle’s registration.
This shift, authored by Assemblymember Diane Dixon, seeks to delay costs associated with enforcing expired tag violations and limit officers’ ability to make “pretextual stops.”
Similarly, Assembly Bill 925, introduced by Assembly member Tri Ta, changes the guidelines for officers or traffic enforcement officials when dealing with expired registration violations. From January 1, 2024, authorities are required to verify with the DMV if a vehicle does not have up-to-date registration before towing for tags that expired six or more months prior.
This law aims to prevent penalizing drivers who may have had their stickers stolen and to avoid unnecessary hardship for those unable to retrieve their vehicle from an impound lot.
Another significant law is Assembly Bill 645, allowing cities like Los Angeles, Oakland, San Jose, Glendale, Long Beach, and the county of San Francisco to deploy a limited number of cameras for a five-year pilot program starting in January 2024 to monitor and enforce speeding.
The focus will be on areas such as school zones, high-injury roadways, and known street racing corridors. Drivers found speeding through these areas will be subject to a civil penalty based on how many miles per hour they went over the speed limit.
Assembly Bill 413, starting January 1, 2024, prohibits parking or stopping a vehicle along a curb at least 20 feet from a marked crosswalk or 15 feet from a curb where an extension is present. This law, authored by Assemblymember Alex Lee, aims to increase visibility at intersections and reduce pedestrian fatalities through a strategy called “daylighting.”
Furthermore, Assembly Bill 436, effective January 1, 2024, brings an end to a decades-long ban on lowrider cruising across California, impacting municipalities like Los Angeles, Fresno, and Santa Ana, where restrictions on lowrider cruising were still in place. This change is a significant win for lowrider communities.
Assembly Bill 2773, also effective January 1, 2024, changes how law enforcement officers initiate traffic stops. Officers are required to state the purpose of the stop before asking any other questions, aiming to reduce pretextual stops and de-escalate interactions between police and civilians.
Lastly, responding to the rise in catalytic converter theft, Assembly Bill 641 and Senate Bill 55 introduce new regulations, making it a misdemeanor for unlicensed “automobile dismantlers” to possess nine or more catalytic converters cut from a vehicle, and prohibiting the removal, alteration, or obfuscation of a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) from a catalytic converter. These laws reflect California’s commitment to evolving traffic safety and law enforcement practices, aiming to protect drivers, reduce unnecessary penalization, and enhance road safety for all.
