Your 7-year-old isn't going to like this.
A new state law requires children to ride in either car seats or booster seats until they turn 8, or until they reach the height of 4 feet 9 inches.
Such children also must ride in the back seat of a vehicle, unless there is no back seat or other youngsters are sitting there, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Under no circumstances may a child younger than 1 year or weighing less than 20 pounds ride in the front seat of a car with an active passenger airbag.
The new law is one of several affecting motorists that took effect with the dawn of the New Year.
Here are some others:
The amnesty applies to fines that were supposed to be paid in full by Jan. 1, 2009.
For information on San Diego County's program, visit http://www.sdcourt.ca.gov/portal/page?_pageid=55,1811880&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL.
For information on Riverside County's program, visit http://www.riverside.courts.ca.gov/media/11infraction_amnestyprgm.pdf.
Read more: http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/columnists/downey/downey-brings-new-traffic-laws/article_82ae6487-fcbd-5fd2-8ce0-64fab7cc8b45.html#ixzz1pWhykBYS
A new state law requires children to ride in either car seats or booster seats until they turn 8, or until they reach the height of 4 feet 9 inches.
Such children also must ride in the back seat of a vehicle, unless there is no back seat or other youngsters are sitting there, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Under no circumstances may a child younger than 1 year or weighing less than 20 pounds ride in the front seat of a car with an active passenger airbag.
The new law is one of several affecting motorists that took effect with the dawn of the New Year.
Here are some others:
- Vehicles may not cross double, parallel solid white lines.
- Cities in Riverside County have the green light to develop plans that allow "neighborhood electric vehicles," essentially trumped-up golf carts, to travel on streets where the speed limit is 45 mph or lower. That law was authored by Assemblyman Kevin Jeffries, R-Lake Elsinore.
- Police officers may not impound vehicles stopped at sobriety checkpoints for the sole reason that the driver does not possess a valid driver's license. Officers are required under a new law to make an attempt to identify and contact a car's registered owner, and turn over the vehicle to him or her. The California Office of Traffic Safety stresses, however, that the law does not apply in situations where the driver has a suspended or revoked license. And it applies only to sobriety checkpoints; not to routine stops by patrol officers.
- Anyone convicted of reckless driving in lieu of an original driving under the influence (DUI) charge may apply for a restricted driver's license before completing his or her one-year suspension, in some circumstances.
- More on driving under the influence: Judges may revoke a driver's license for 10 years if a person is convicted of three or more DUI offenses. This change is the result of a law passed in 2010 that took effect Sunday.
- Also with the arrival of 2012 comes a six-month amnesty program for paying old traffic fines.
The amnesty applies to fines that were supposed to be paid in full by Jan. 1, 2009.
For information on San Diego County's program, visit http://www.sdcourt.ca.gov/portal/page?_pageid=55,1811880&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL.
For information on Riverside County's program, visit http://www.riverside.courts.ca.gov/media/11infraction_amnestyprgm.pdf.
Read more: http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/columnists/downey/downey-brings-new-traffic-laws/article_82ae6487-fcbd-5fd2-8ce0-64fab7cc8b45.html#ixzz1pWhykBYS
