Community
Daylighting Law” Aimed at Increasing Pedestrian Visibility
| Nature of Incident: | “Daylighting Law” Aimed at Increasing Pedestrian Visibility | ||
| Location: | City of Thousand Oaks and all Public Roadways | ||
| Date: | 12/12/2024 | ||
| Unit(s) Responsible: | Thousand Oaks Police Department Traffic Bureau | ||
| Narrative: | |||
| The City of Thousand Oaks and the Thousand Oaks Police Department Traffic Bureau, would like to make residents aware of Assembly Bill 413, also known as the “California Daylighting Law.” This bill amends Section 22500 of the California Vehicle Code by adding a new section which prohibits stopping, standing, or parking a vehicle within 20 feet of any marked or unmarked crosswalk, or within 15 feet of any crosswalk with a curb extension. These new restrictions apply to the approach side of the crosswalk, and not the departure side. The law took effect on January 1, 2024. During 2024, authorities were authorized to issue warnings when the law was violated (unless the curb has already been painted red or a sign erected that prohibits parking). Effective January 1, 2025, the warning period will be over, and the law will allow violators to be issued a citation for violating the Daylighting Law. The concept is simple. Pedestrian safety is vastly improved by removing vehicles that are close to intersections and crosswalks. Vehicles close to crosswalks block a drivers’ view of pedestrians in a crosswalk or pedestrians about to enter a crosswalk from a curb or sidewalk. This law will increase the visual field of both pedestrians and drivers. Pedestrians will no longer have to “peek” around large SUVs before they venture out into the intersection. Daylighting significantly increases the visibility of children, who often cannot be seen on the other side of a vehicle. Don’t know what an “unmarked crosswalk” is, don’t worry, most people don’t. Just to break it down, an unmarked crosswalk is an unmarked pedestrian crossing that doesn't have painted lines, signals, or signs. Unmarked crosswalks are usually found at all intersections, extending from one corner to the other side of the road. While you won’t see any markings on an unmarked crosswalk, you can safely assume all intersections have unmarked crosswalks. This law was written to make pedestrians more visible and thereby avoid pedestrian related injury collisions. According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, California’s pedestrian fatality rate was 25% higher than the national average. Pedestrian fatalities increased from 1,013 in 2020 to 1,108 in 2021. There are 43 other states that have implemented similar “Daylighting” laws, and they have resulted in reducing collisions involving pedestrians. The city of Hoboken, New Jersey has a similar law and has reported zero traffic fatalities involving pedestrians over the last seven years. Increasing pedestrian safety is an important goal for the City of Thousand Oaks and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. Here are some general pedestrian safety tips:
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| Prepared by: | Sergeant M. Ogonowski | ||
| News Release Date: | 12/12/2024 | ||
| Media Follow-Up Contact: |
Sergeant M. Ogonowski Phone number: (805) 797-6438, (805) 494-8246 E-mail: [email protected] |
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| Approved by: |
Captain Matthew Young |
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Address/Location
Ventura County Sheriff's Office
800 S Victoria Ave
Ventura, CA 93003
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 805-654-9511