SACRAMENTO, Calif. – As we count down to the new year, California motorists should be
aware of some of the new laws going into effect January 1, 2012. These new traffic laws were
passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor earlier this year, and the California
Highway Patrol (CHP) is asking the motoring public to familiarize themselves with the changes
before they take effect.
“Our hope is by educating the public of these new traffic safety laws in advance, more lives will
be saved in the new year,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow.
The following are highlights of a few of the significant changes for the upcoming year:
· A change to California’s Child Passenger Safety Seat law will now require children to
ride in either a car seat or booster seat until the age of eight, or until they reach a height
of 4 feet 9 inches. This law also requires children who do not meet the age or height
requirement to ride in the rear seat of a vehicle unless the vehicle has no back seats, the
restraint system cannot be properly installed or the rear seats are already occupied by
children under age eight. However, the law still maintains that a child may not ride in the
front seat of a vehicle with an active passenger airbag if they are under one year of age,
less than 20 pounds, or riding in a rear-facing child safety seat. (SB 929, Evans)