Traffic deaths soared in COVID. Here’s how California highway laws stack up against other states
.jpg "A man in his 20s died Tuesday morning after he was involved in a car crash on Highway 41 in Fresno, California. He was not wearing his seat belt, the CHP said.")
California has some of the strongest highway safety laws protecting children and vehicle occupants in the country, a new report released Tuesday says — but it also has some of the weakest laws governing impaired and distracted driving.
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety found California was one of five states with “optimal” child safety laws and one of six with strong occupant protection laws, thanks to the state’s requirements for child safety seats and seat belts.
Its laws regarding ignition interlock devices for certain people who were driving drunk, though, were criticized.
Overall, the advocacy group rated California’s vehicle safety laws “green,” meaning it is “significantly advanced” at adopting all of the organization’s safety recommendations.
The report comes as traffic fatalities and reckless driving have been increasing since the COVID-19 pandemic began 22 months ago, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Nationally, it estimated 20,160 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes during the first half of last year, the latest data available.
That’s an increase of about 18.4% from the first half of 2020, and the largest number of traffic deaths since the first half of 2006.
In California, there were an estimated 3,413 traffic fatalities in the first nine months of 2021, up 16% from the same period in 2020, according to National Safety Council estimates.
Tough California laws
The new study found California was particularly vigilant in protecting children and passengers.
When considering laws to protect child passengers, the group looked at whether a state requires infants and toddlers to stay in a rear-facing child restraint system in the rear seat until age 2 or even longer.
It wants children who no longer need the rear facing seat to sit forward in a harness-equipped child restraint system. Restraint systems should be certified by the manufacturer to meet federal safety standards.
Also important is a law that children who outgrow the height and weight limit for the forward facing safety seat sit in a booster seat that meets federal standards until he or she can use a seat belt properly.
California is one of five states with those protections.
It’s also one of six states with strong laws to protect vehicle occupants.
The group considers it important for law enforcement officers to be able to stop vehicles and write a ticket for front or rear seat riders who are not wearing a seat belt. Also factored into the rating is a requirement that all motorcycle riders wear helmets that meet federal safety standards.
Impaired driving
California got lower marks, though, on its impaired driving laws.
The study didn’t like how the state does not mandate installation of ignition interlock devices on all convicted drunk drivers’ vehicles.
California does require that repeat offenders driving under the influence, as well as first-time offenders whose actions resulted in an injury, install an ignition interlock device for one to four years. But not all first time offenders must use the device.
The safety advocates, though, did like the state’s laws regarding impaired drivers who endanger minors and its restrictions on open containers of alcohol in a vehicle.
The study was wary of some teen driving laws. It wants learners’ permits available only to people 16 or older and strict limits on who can legally ride with a teen driver without adult supervision. California teens can seek a provisional instruction permit at age 15 ½.
This story was originally published January 20, 2022 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Traffic deaths soared in COVID. Here’s how California highway laws stack up against other states."
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