Speed Limits to Self‑Driving: 2026 California Traffic Safety Laws Every Driver and Worker Should Know

California’s roads are getting new safety rules in 2026, and drivers need to know what’s changing. From lower speed limits, to red‑light cameras and clear accountability for autonomous vehicles, the laws taking effect next year share a common goal: fewer crashes, fairer enforcement, and better protection when something goes wrong.​

 

Safer Speed Limits and a New State Manual

Assembly Bill 1014 updates how California sets and lowers speed limits, moving away from the old “85th percentile” rule that often locked in high speeds even on dangerous streets. Under AB 1014:​

• Caltrans and cities can retain or reduce lower limits an additional 5–10 mph below the speed suggested by speed surveys when justified by safety data (school zones, business districts, high‑injury corridors, vulnerable road users).​
• Agencies must document their reasons in an engineering and traffic survey and follow an updated California Manual for Setting Speed Limits due by March 2026.​
• In designated “business activity districts,” cities can set 20–25 mph limits where people walk, shop, and cross frequently, if certain land‑use and street conditions are met.​

For communities like Bakersfield and Kern County, where arterial roads have high crash and pedestrian death rates, AB 1014 makes it easier for local agencies to slow cars down legally and defend lower limits in court.​

To help drivers adjust when a speed limit is lowered under AB 1014, the law requires a grace period:​

• For the first 30 days after a new, lower speed limit takes effect, peace officers may issue only warning citations for drivers going 10 mph or less over the new limit.
• This rule applies on non‑freeway roads where the lower limit is based on a proper engineering and traffic survey.​

That means if your city drops a corridor from 40 mph to 30 mph for safety reasons, you’ll get a warning, not a fine, for modest speeding during the first month. After that, normal ticketing resumes.

 

Ongoing HOV Lane Enforcement

While not a new statute, Californians should expect continued strict enforcement in 2026 of High‑Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane rules:

• You must have the required number of occupants (usually 2+ or 3+) or valid clean‑air vehicle decals.
• Removing decals from a vehicle does not erase the rules if you don’t meet HOV requirements, CHP can and will issue tickets.
• Fines for HOV violations remain steep and can affect your driving record and insurance rates.

With more congestion and more people trying to “cheat” the system, CHP has signaled it will keep prioritizing HOV enforcement to keep lanes moving safely.

 

Autonomous Vehicle Safety + Accountability

As fully driverless cars appear on California roads, Assembly Bill 1777 closes a major accountability gap. Starting July 1, 2026, any autonomous vehicle operating without a human driver physically in the car must comply with new safety and communication requirements:​

• Manufacturers (think Waymo, Cruise, and future operators) must:
  • Maintain a dedicated emergency responder hotline for police, fire, and other first responders.​
  • Equip each AV with a two‑way voice communication device, allowing nearby first responders to speak directly with a remote human operator.​
  • Report collisions and certain “automatic stops” within strict deadlines, including details on whether the autonomous system was engaged.​

Crucially, AB 1777 clarifies who gets the ticket when a driverless car breaks the law:

• If an AV commits a traffic violation without a human driver present or while the autonomous system is engaged, law enforcement can issue a “notice of autonomous vehicle noncompliance” to the manufacturer/operator, not to a non‑existent driver.​
• If a human is behind the wheel and autonomous tech is not engaged, the human driver is responsible, just like any other driver.​

If a violation stems from a technical or software error, the manufacturer must fix the defect within 60 days of conviction or judgment. For crash victims, this law helps ensure there is a real, identifiable party, often a deep‑pocket company, on the hook when a driverless vehicle causes harm.​

 

Automated Traffic Enforcement Expansion (Red‑Light Cameras)

Senate Bill 720, signed in 2025, allows California cities and counties to expand automated traffic enforcement systems starting in 2026. Under SB 720:​

• Local jurisdictions may opt into using red‑light cameras and similar systems to enforce traffic signal violations.
• These programs issue civil citations (not criminal offenses) to the registered owner of a vehicle based on rear license‑plate photos, no face photos, addressing common privacy concerns.​
• The base civil penalty for a red‑light violation captured by camera is capped at $100, a sharp contrast to the nearly $500 fines typical for traditional red‑light tickets.​
• Programs must include:
  • Clear signage warning of automated enforcement.
  • An initial review, administrative hearing, and appeals process.
  • Protections against shortening yellow‑light intervals just to increase ticket volume.​
• Revenue from fines must go toward street safety improvements, not general funds.​

Local roll‑outs will vary by city, but drivers should expect to see more cameras in high‑injury intersections, especially where speeding and red‑light running are common contributors to serious crashes.

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In addition to the new laws listed above, other existing roadway-related laws will be indergoing changes as well. They include:

 

Ignition Interlock Devices

Assembly Bill 366 extends the statewide Ignition Interlock Device program for certain DUI offenders through January 1, 2033. This means the existing requirement that some drivers convicted of DUI install a breath-activated device, which prevents a vehicle from starting if the driver’s blood alcohol level is above a threshold, will continue long past its original end date (currently set to expire at the end of 2025). The extension keeps the program in place as part of the state’s efforts to reduce repeat impaired driving. Under the IID program, individuals convicted of a DUI involving alcohol or a combination of alcohol and drugs must use one of these devices on their vehicles as a condition of driving. The law originally enacted in 2019 made IID requirements part of DUI sentencing in many cases; AB 366 pushes the sunset date for those provisions out to 2033. In essence, this change ensures that the ignition interlock requirement stays in effect for the next several years, keeping a technological safeguard against driving while intoxicated as part of California’s DUI enforcement strategy.

 

Vehicular Manslaughter While Intoxicated

California’s Assembly Bill 1087, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2026, makes a notable change to how the state supervises people convicted of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated or gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. Under previous law, probation terms for these offenses were capped at two years. AB 1087 alters that by requiring a period of probation between three and five years for anyone granted probation after such a conviction. This aligns the supervision length with the existing probation terms for standard DUI convictions, which are already set at three to five years.

The legislative intent behind the change was to address what lawmakers saw as an inconsistency in probation lengths: someone who causes a fatality while driving under the influence could receive a shorter probation period than someone convicted of a lesser DUI offense. By extending the probation term, the law gives courts more time to impose and enforce conditions — like treatment, monitoring, and other supervision requirements — that aim to reduce the risk of reoffending and support rehabilitation. This change is part of a broader package of traffic safety and public-safety laws taking effect in California in 2026. While AB 1087 specifically focuses on criminal justice outcomes for serious DUI-related deaths, other new laws address ignition interlock devices, speed limits, and lane-change requirements, reflecting an overall emphasis on roadway safety and accountability.

 

School Zone Speed Limits

Assembly Bill 382 changes California’s approach to school-zone speed limits with the goal of improving child safety. Beginning Jan. 1, 2031, the default speed limit in school zones will be 20 miles per hour, down from the current 25 mph, when children are present and the area is properly signed. Until that date, cities and counties may still choose to adopt the lower limit on their own, but in 2031 it becomes the statewide standard.

Lawmakers approved the change based on evidence that even small reductions in speed can significantly lower the risk of serious injury or death in pedestrian crashes. By setting a uniform 20 mph standard, AB 382 aims to make streets around schools safer and more predictable for drivers, parents, and students, while giving local governments time to update signage and adjust enforcement before the rule takes effect statewide.

 

“Slow Down, Move Over”

Assembly Bill 390 expands California’s “slow down, move over” traffic safety law to offer broader protection to people stopped on the roadside. Under current law, drivers must move over a lane or slow down when approaching certain emergency and highway service vehicles stopped with flashing lights. AB 390 updates this requirement so that any stationary vehicle displaying hazard lights or other warning devices, not just traditional emergency responders, triggers the same obligation: drivers must change lanes when it’s safe to do so, or otherwise reduce speed to a safe level.

The change reflects concerns about rising numbers of roadside injuries and fatalities involving people outside their vehicles, including motorists with disabled cars and workers performing roadside tasks. By expanding the move-over rule to cover all vehicles with active warning signals, the law aims to give drivers clear guidance to create more space and reduce speed near stopped vehicles, improving safety for everyone on the shoulder or roadside. The expanded protections will take effect as part of California’s broader set of traffic safety updates beginning Jan. 1, 2026.

 

License Plate Obstruction

Assembly Bill 1085 creates a new infraction in California targeting license plate obstruction and alteration to improve roadway and enforcement safety. Under the updated Vehicle Code, it is now illegal to manufacture within the state any product or device that is designed to obscure or interfere with the visual or electronic reading of a license plate, including covers, shades, tints, and similar tools that can block recognition by people or camera systems such as toll-collection and law-enforcement equipment.

The law imposes a fine of up to $1,000 per item sold or manufactured for these offenses, which represents a significant increase from prior penalties that applied mainly to sales of such products. The change is aimed at closing loopholes that previously allowed the production and distribution of plate-obscuring devices in the state, which have been linked to toll evasion, hindering automated enforcement systems, and impeding identification in criminal investigations.

 

Autonomous Vehicle Marker Lamps

Senate Bill 480 makes a targeted update to California’s autonomous vehicle rules to help other road users and law enforcement know when a vehicle’s automated driving system (ADS) is active. Starting Jan. 1, 2026, the law authorizes autonomous vehicles to be equipped with ADS marker lamps, lights that signal to pedestrians, drivers, and police that the vehicle is being driven by its automated system rather than a human. The bill defines these marker lamps and allows them to be used in accordance with established industry lighting standards.

Under existing rules, autonomous vehicles must meet certain approval and safety requirements before operating on public roads. SB 480 doesn’t change those operational rules, but it explicitly permits the use of external marker lights on autonomous vehicles that would otherwise conflict with standard vehicle lighting color requirements (like white or red). The intent is to improve communication and safety by making it clear to others when an automated system is engaged, which could help build public trust as these vehicles become more common.

 

Off-Highway Electric Motorcycles

Senate Bill 586 updates California law to formally classify off-highway electric motorcycles, commonly called eMotos, as off-highway motor vehicles. This closes a gap where these electric bikes didn’t clearly fit into existing vehicle categories, even though they are designed for off-road use. By placing eMotos under the off-highway vehicle framework, the law makes them subject to the same rules as other off-highway vehicles, including identification requirements and operating regulations on public lands. The change provides clearer guidance for riders and law enforcement and takes effect Jan. 1, 2026.

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If you or someone you know is injured in an accident at the fault of someone else, or injured on the job no matter whose fault it is, contact the attorneys at Chain | Cohn | Clark by calling (661) 323-4000, or fill out a free consultation form, text, or chat with us at chainlaw.com.