What to know about new California public safety laws in 2026

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- As 2026 inches closer, the California Highway Patrol wants you to cognize astir the caller nationalist information laws going into effect successful the caller year.

Assembly Bill 289 volition instrumentality a Work Zone Speed Safety System aviator programme with caller velocity detectors.

"A mobile radar oregon lidar to circumstantial enactment portion areas connected the highway," says Hector Carias with the California Highway Patrol. "The Department of Transportation/Caltrans has been fixed the authorization to station up those devices to show velocity successful those enactment zones."

Also, on highways, the "Slow Down, Move Over" instrumentality is expanding nether AB 390.

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"If determination is simply a disabled motorist connected the broadside of the roadworthy with flashing lights of immoderate sort, motorists successful the road are required to determination implicit oregon dilatory down," Carias said.

The CHP says this instrumentality volition assistance forestall accidents and heighten nationalist safety, arsenic volition AB 1014, which allows the Department of Transportation to trim road velocity limits by 5 mph.

"There volition beryllium changes successful the signage that commuters oregon drivers volition spot connected the roadway," Carias said.

Drivers could besides spot a alteration successful velocity limits successful schoolhouse zones nether AB 382.

"It's looking to trim that schoolhouse portion velocity bounds from 25 to 20," Carias said. "Now arsenic of close now, that discretion is up to section municipalities."

By 2031, the instrumentality volition trim each schoolhouse zones to 20 mph.

Many students person adopted e-bikes successful caller years, but those, too, volition look caller regulations.

AB 544 requires e-bikes to person a reddish rear-facing reflector oregon airy astatine each hours of the day.

"Just to beryllium much disposable with the hopes of being safe," Carias said.

Violators of these laws could beryllium cited oregon required to instrumentality a information course.

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