Three New Traffic Laws Take Effect July 1st, DMV Says

SACRAMENTO (CBS 13) — With July just days away, the Department of Motor Vehicles issued a reminder about traffic safety laws that will take effect July 1.

The first law, SB 19, affects Private Carriers of Passengers Program. A private carrier is a not for hire transportation services such as employee shuttles or church buses.

The new law transfers the regulatory authority from the California Public Utilities Commission to the DMV. The DMV will now issue certificates for intrastate authority and verify proof of liability insurance, while CHP will regulate compliance and the safe operation of the vehicles.

The DMV said that the purpose of this program is to ensure that private vehicles transporting passengers in California are safe and have adequate insurance coverage.

The second law, SB 20, requires passengers in a bus equipped with seat belts to be properly restrained and requires children ages 8-15 to wear said seat belts when traveling on a bus. The DMV said the law is aimed at increasing overall traffic safety and reducing highways deaths as a result of large bus crashes.

This law requires bus operators to inform passengers of the seatbelt requirement and violations are punishable by a fine.

Finally, the legal limit for a DUI was lowered. This law, AB 2687, lowers the legal blood alcohol concentration limit from 0.08 to 0.04 for drivers transporting a passenger for hire. The new limit is now standard with the BAC limit for commercial drivers. This law will affect drivers who work for Uber or Lyft that drive passengers for hire.

The DMV said that a person's driver license will be suspended if a conviction is added to their record while commercial license holders will receive a disqualification.