SAN DIEGO — It's clear that the current law, and threat of fines, did not hinder pedestrians from jaywalking, but starting January 1, 2023 jaywalking will be decriminalized now that Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Freedom to Walk Act.
It's an unfortunate time for anyone who gets stopped by law enforcement for jaywalking, what's even worse is having to pay that hefty fine.
However, soon Californians won't have to pay attention to the white lines of crosswalks.
Under a new law, pedestrians will be able to legally cross the street outside of designated intersections without the threat of a citation, unless it's during an immediate danger.
“We believe everyone in California has the freedom to walk across the street without being feared of citation. At a time when we are facing climate change, we want more people to walk we want more people to bike,” said Bay Area State Assemblyman Phil Ting, who introduced the bill. He is hoping to tackle what activists have argued for years, that jaywalking rules disproportionately affect marginalized and low-income residents.
According to data provided by San Diego Police, black people represented 16% of all San Diego jaywalking citations issued between January 2015 and June 2021, despite being only 6% of the city's population.
“Unfortunately some of these interactions, once an officer and a potential suspect would get cited, it would sometimes lead to use of force,” said Ting.
Except, with jaywalking, pedestrian accidents could also occur, according to recent reports San Diego has been behind the curve when it comes to protecting its pedestrians under the Vision Zero Program–a nationwide campaign dedicated to ending all traffic-related fatalities by 2025.
“I don’t think the streets are anymore dangerous or any less dangerous because of this law, what we do know is speed kills, the faster you are driving your car the less time you have to react–many of those incidents have to do with someone who is driving,” said Ting.
There are also questions of how law enforcement will ticket those crossing during an immediate danger. Ting says ticketing can only happen if it involves a moving vehicle or somewhat of a moving device.
Before it can go into effect next year a report still needs to be submitted to the state legislature by January to determine how the law affects overall safety.
WATCH RELATED: 'Everybody has the freedom to walk' | Renewed efforts to reduce jaywalking citations in California.
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