Our California legislature approved laws for the road in 2025. These take effect on January 1, 2026:
- A five-year pilot program is established by Caltrans to use cameras to enforce speeding violations in highway maintenance and construction zones. Signs are required to notify drivers that these zones are “photo enforced” and the driver may be issued citations, but only when workers are present.
- A Senate bill expanded rules around California’s red-light traffic camera enforcement systems. A new program was added that does not require a picture of the driver’s face to be captured in order to issue a citation. Under this law, local governments can rely only on license plate photos in order to cite car owners whose vehicles were photographed running a red light. It doesn’t matter who is driving the car. Violations are to be treated as civil infractions rather than criminal offenses and, fortunately, will not appear on driving records.
- A bill passed that expands the existing “Slow Down, Move Over” law. Drivers are now required to slow down or move over a lane for any stationary vehicle displaying flashing hazard lights or other warning devices. The new law requires drivers to change to a lane not immediately adjacent to the stopped vehicle, or if that isn’t safe to do, drivers must slow down to “a reasonable and prudent speed.”
- The use of booster seats for children ages 8 through 15 will change effective January 1, 2027. They must demonstrate that they can be properly restrained by a seat belt by passing a five-step test:
- Child’s back sits against the auto seat.
- Knees bend over the edge of the seat.
- Shoulder belt snugly crosses the chest and shoulder.
- The lap belt must stay low on the thighs and hips.
- Child can stay seated correctly for the entire trip.