GHSA maintains data on state laws surrounding a number of highway safety issues. Below is information regarding laws in the state of California. For more information, consult the State Highway Safety Office.
Bicycle helmets required for all riders under 18.
Universal helmet law enacted 1992.
5 years
70 and over: mail or online renewal through Dec. 31, 2022
None
Decriminalized and legal for medical and recreational use
None
65
55
70
55
70
55
0.15
4 months
After 30 days
Mandatory for all repeat and injury-involved offenses, first-time injury or vehicular manslaughter offenses.
Yes
No
Under 2 yrs and under 40 pounds or 40” in rear-facing car seat, following manufacturer instructions and in a back seat
Under 8 yrs and under 57" tall in child safety seat or booster seat in the back seat, following manufacturer instructions
Under 16 yrs properly restrained, including a seat belt
15 / 6
6
50 (10)
16
11 p.m. - 5 a.m. (secondary enforcement)
First 12 months: no passengers under 20 (secondary enforcement) unless accompanied by parent, guardian or other adult 25 years or older
17 years
Primary
16 and over
All
Yes. Primary law.
Yes. Primary law.
Drivers under 18. Secondary law.
All drivers. Primary law.
None
n/a
Permitted by state law
Statewide
Slow down, California drivers. Speed cameras can be installed next year in six cities, including San Francisco and Los Angeles, after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation on Friday approving a trial run of enforcement systems that can automatically flag errant drivers for citations.
Story by Heather Knight
October 13, 2023
California likes to think of itself as a cutting-edge lab for policymaking, a place where laws get passed first and then copied around the country. But for years, it has banned a basic measure used in many cities to slow drivers: the humble speed camera. In the state that practically invented car culture and the thrill of hitting the open road, speed cameras have faced steep resistance.
Amid a recent surge in traffic deaths and dangerous driving behaviors, the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) has updated the Policies and Priorities that guide the organization’s work to prevent traffic crashes, injuries and deaths on U.S. roads.
Amid a recent surge in traffic deaths and dangerous driving behaviors, the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) has updated the Policies and Priorities that guide the organization’s work to prevent traffic crashes, injuries and deaths on U.S. roads.
Sanath Dhananjayamurty Javagal is a Senior System Engineer at a self-driving vehicle technology company in San Francisco, California, where he focuses on autonomous vehicle network architecture and systems engineering.
Best Online Traffic School's mission is to provide a seamless and professional traffic school experience that helps students fulfill user legal obligations swiftly and effectively.
According to projections from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 4,400 people were killed in traffic crashes in California in 2022.
The Los Angeles based law firm specializes in helping people impacted by traffic collisions, with a particular focus on crashes involves motorcycles, passenger cars and bicycles.
Jonathan Adkins, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Assn., said the Windsor Hills crash that took multiple lives might not have been so severe had the road been designed with more impediments toward picking up tremendous speed.
New research suggests state laws that prohibit drivers from holding a cell phone under any circumstance appear to be effective in reducing rear-end crashes.
