Every new year brings change—and that includes to traffic safety laws in the Golden State. To help you prepare for 2022, Omega Law Group Injury & Accident Attorneys has compiled a list of the upcoming changes to California’s traffic laws.
AB 3: PROHIBITING SIDESHOWS
Assembly Bill 3 is a new law that defines and prohibits illegal sideshows. Per the bill, a “sideshow” is any “event in which two or more persons block or impede traffic on a highway, for the purpose of performing motor vehicle stunts, motor vehicle speed contests, motor vehicle exhibitions of speed, or reckless driving, for spectators.”
The bill further imposes a strict penalty on illegal sideshows: A court will have the power to suspend a person’s driver’s license from 90 days to six months. The penalty will not be enforceable until 2025, however.
AB 47: COUNTERACTING DISTRACTED DRIVING WITH LICENSE POINTS
Assembly Bill 47 cracks down on distracted driving. Any driver convicted of using a cell phone while driving twice in the same three-year period will have one point added to their driver’s license.
Please note that this law does not apply to hands-free devices.
Although AB 47 took effect earlier this year, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) took care to highlight the bill in a press release on traffic safety law changes for the new year.
AB 974: REQUIRING EQUESTRIANS UNDER 18 TO WEAR HELMETS
The next law on the agenda concerns horse, mule, and donkey riders, or equestrians. Per Assembly Bill 974, all equestrians under the age of 18 will be legally required to wear “properly fitted and fastened” helmets when traveling on paved highways. Underage equestrians must also wear reflective gear if they wish to ride on paved highways after dark, a measure included in an attempt to improve visibility and reduce the likelihood of an accident.
The penalty for riding on paved highways without a helmet will be set at a $25 fine.
AB 798: REMOVING RESTRICTIONS ON TRIBAL EMERGENCY VEHICLES
Through Assembly Bill 798, lawmakers have removed restrictions on tribal emergency vehicles. Despite the fact that designated Native American tribes are sovereign, previous laws restricted tribal emergency vehicles as though they were privately owned. AB 798 remedies this issue, respecting the right of designated tribes to operate their vehicles on their reservations as they see fit.
AB 798 was signed into law Sept. 24, 2021 after the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians had spent a year being prohibited from using a new, advanced ambulance. This compelled them to speak up about the unjustified restrictions, as reported by NBC Los Angeles.
WERE YOU INJURED IN LOS ANGELES? CALL OMEGA LAW GROUP INJURY & ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS
At Omega Law Group Injury & Accident Attorneys , our tight-knit team of attorneys is proud to help traffic accident victims recover every penny owed to them. We know how difficult it can be to get back on your feet after a life-changing accident, even more so when the at-fault party attempts to stick you with the bill. If you have been injured, we will fight tirelessly to get you the compensation you deserve.
Call our law firm at 866-942-3881 for a free consultation with a Los Angeles lawyer.