Tuesday, January 10, 2012

New CA Vehicle Laws for 2012

New California Vehicle Laws 2012

As Personal Injury Lawyers, and ones who deal with car accidents and the vehicle code on a regular basis, we here at T&H try to keep up with new driving laws as they come into effect, as those new statutes can sometimes significantly affect your case. Though not all of these are directly related to "PI" cases, the following are some of the new code sections or bills that have come into effect as of January 1, 2012, that you all might be interested in.

New Double White Line Law

AB 1105 prohibits vehicles from crossing double parallel solid white lines in California, except where expressly permitted.

New DUI Law

Vehicle Code Section 23579 has been added to the California Vehicle Code, which authorizes courts to revoke a driver's license for 10 years if a person is convicted of three or more DUIs. Motorists may apply for reinstatement of their license with the DMV after five years, if the driver installs an Ignition Interlock Device (IID) in their vehicle.

New Reckless Driving Restricted License Law

AB 520 allows California drivers convicted of reckless driving under Vehicle Code Section 23103.5 to apply for a restricted driver's license prior to the completion of their one-year suspension if they meet specific conditions, such as the installation of Ignition Interlock Device in their vehicle.

New DUI Checkpoint Vehicle Impound Law

AB 353 prohibits law enforcement officers from impounding a vehicle for 30 days at a DUI checkpoint if the only offense is failing to hold a valid driver license.