Starting Monday, the SFMTA will begin issuing warnings for vehicles parked within 20 feet of a crosswalk in the direction of oncoming traffic.
This marks the beginning of the end of a year-round grace period for drivers to be aware of California’s new “Daylighting Law,” which went into effect on January 1, 2024.
The law is similar to laws on the books in more than 40 other states. The goal is to make it safer for pedestrians by increasing the field of vision for both pedestrians crossing the street and for motorists driving to an intersection.
Beginning January 1, 2025, the SFMTA will begin issuing citations to people who do not comply with the law. The citations start at $40, according to the SFMTA.
Jodie Medeiros, the executive director of Walk SF, provided CBS News Bay Area with the following statement:
Given how many people are injured and killed in traffic accidents on our streets, every possible solution to keep people safe is needed – and daylighting is a powerful solution.
Daylight is one of the cheapest and easiest solutions to make streets significantly safer, reducing traffic accidents by up to 30%. This new law will save lives in San Francisco and improve safety for everyone who uses the road, including drivers.
Daylight not only helps protect people crossing the street, but also helps drivers make safe turns when there is oncoming traffic.
Vehicles are getting bigger, heavier and more powerful, which means every possible solution is needed to help prevent traffic accidents – and keep people safe at the crosswalk.
Education is an important step in the city’s compliance with AB 413, a life-saving state law that bans parking around the intersection to create clear sight lines for everyone. This commonsense law has existed in forty other states for decades.
Many drivers are not yet aware of this new California law and how important adhering to it is for everyone’s safety. But more than just education is needed: the SFMTA should install red “no parking” paint and posts to ensure drivers know and respect this life-saving law. Other neighboring Bay Area cities – Oakland and Alameda – are doing an excellent job of demonstrating how daylight can be achieved with paint and poles.
Daylight saves lives. This new state law is a necessary step toward reducing the number of tragedies on our streets. San Francisco has had 21 pedestrian deaths so far this year.
