New California Safety-oriented Laws To Hit Books Next Year

REDWOOD CITY, CA -- New laws approved by the California Legislature in 2018 will affect roadway safety in several ways, the California Highway Patrol announced.

The laws range from helmet use on bicycles and the increasingly popular motorized scooters to stiffer restrictions on motorists involved in hit-and-run crashes on bicycle paths. There's also a modified exhaust systems bill and enhanced safety for refuse collection vehicles.

Here are a few of those examples:

• Bicycle hit-and-run on bike path (AB 1755, Marc Steinorth): The provisions of the felony hit-and-run law are extended to cyclists on Class I bikeways, which represent bike paths. Currently, under the California Vehicle Code, a driver involved in a collision resulting in death or injury to another party is required to stop at the scene. This law clarifies that the same vehicle code also applies on Class I bikeways and allows law enforcement to hold individuals accountable for reckless behavior.
• Bicycle helmets (AB 3077, Anna Caballero): Persons under the age of 18 not wearing a helmet on a bicycle, scooter, skateboard, or skates will receive a “fix-it” ticket. A citation is considered non-punitive and correctable, if proof that the minor has completed a bicycle safety course and has a helmet that meets safety standards. The prove needs to be presented within 120 days to the law enforcement agency that issued the ticket.
• Helmet use on motorized scooters (AB 2989, Heath Flora): Bicycle helmets are no longer required for riders of motorized scooters who are age 18 or older. Motorized scooters may operate within a Class IV bikeway as well as a Class II bikeway and on highways with speed limits up to 25 miles per hour. Local jurisdictions may pass ordinances to allow motorized scooters on highways with speed limits up to 35 miles per hour. It is still illegal to operate a motorized scooter on a sidewalk, which is the issue the city of San Jose is contending with now.
• Certain vehicle exhaust violations no longer correctable (AB 1824, Committee on Budget): A fine will become mandatory, not correctable, when loud motor vehicles and motorcycles are cited. Previously, a driver or motorcyclist who was cited for modified or excessively loud exhaust or muffler systems could correct the violation to avoid a fine.
• Passing waste service vehicles (AB 2115, Miguel Santiago): When approaching or overtaking a refuse collection vehicle with its amber lights flashing, drivers must move into an adjacent lane, if possible, and pass at a safe distance. If it is not possible, drivers must slow to a safe and reasonable speed. This law provides a safety margin for sanitation workers while they are actively working.

--Image via Sue Wood, Patch