Three New DMV Laws Take Effect July 1
Sacramento, CA – New laws aimed at improving traffic safety will take affect over the weekend.
DMV officials say that come July 1, three laws will go into effect. Two have to do with private carriers of passengers and seatbelts on buses. The third lowers the legal blood alcohol limit for drivers for hire in the event of a DUI. Specifics are provided below.
SB 19 covers changes in how transportation vehicles such as church buses and employees shuttles are handled, transferring the regulatory oversight from the state’s Public Utilities Commission to the DMV and CHP for all private carriers not for hire. Under this new law, the DMV issues certificates for intrastate authority and verifying proof of liability insurance while the CHP regulates compliance and safe operation for these types of passenger transport vehicles.
Under SB 20, passengers in buses equipped with seatbelts must be properly restrained. Children between the ages of 8 and 15 traveling on a bus must wear a seatbelt or appropriate restraint that meets federal standards; bus operators are also required to inform passengers of the seatbelt requirement. Violations are punishable by fines.
AB 2687 prohibits a driver for hire with a blood alcohol concentration of .04 percent or more from transporting a passenger, effectively making these drivers conform to the same standard that commercial drivers must meet. If convicted, the DMV will suspend a driver’s license of a driver for hire while commercial driver license holders receive disqualifications.
