New law will hit drivers and pedestrians with $1,000 fines for misusing crosswalks

This state is considering new legislation regarding the use of crosswalks. This year, states across the country have been hit with a variety of new pieces of driving laws legislation, all introduced in an effort to make the roads a safer place for all road users. As a responsible driver, it is your civic duty to continue to monitor official state channels for updates regarding any new changes that have been approved or are currently in the process of consideration to ensure that you are not hit with an unexpected penalty. 

Drivers face harsher penalties this year

The multiple new pieces of road traffic legislation that have gone into effect this year are mainly centered around expanding existing laws as well as introducing harsher penalties and convictions for illegal driving behaviors. Additionally, these legislative changes are also intended to expand and regulate the use of new technologies in assisting road traffic authorities in keeping the roads a safer place. 

Automation is becoming increasingly more prevalent across the country, with 31 states currently approving its use to catch speeding and red-light running drivers. In California, state authorities approved legislation last year that will see 75 new speed cameras in highway construction zones be implemented statewide this year. Drivers face a $500 fine if caught speeding through these zones.

The cameras are intended to prioritize the safety of highway construction workers by forcing drivers to slow down and not race through construction zones, potentially hitting a construction worker. This change is one of 13 new major driving legislative changes that go into effect in California this year, including a $1,000 fine for drivers who are convicted of manufacturing and selling devices that are used to intentionally obscure or hide license plate numbers from road traffic authorities. Should a driver be convicted of this behavior, it will now also be classified as an infraction. 

New penalties for using crosswalks incorrectly 

North Carolina drivers may face new fines associated with the incorrect use of pedestrian crosswalks. North Carolina House Bill 275 is currently under consideration by authorities, whereby, if passed, drivers will face increased penalties for failing to yield to blind pedestrians using pedestrian crosswalks:

“Under the first provision, any person who fails to yield to a blind or partially blind pedestrian at a crossing or intersection, as signaled by a white cane with a red tip or a guide dog, will now be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor,” describes House Bill 275.

“The second provision modifies existing law to specify that failing to yield and causing serious bodily injury (defined as an injury involving substantial risk of death, extreme pain, significant disfigurement, or prolonged impairment of bodily function) will result in a Class 2 misdemeanor, a $500 fine, and a 90-day driver’s license revocation.” 

If approved, the bill will become effective on December 1, 2026. The maximum fine for drivers is currently $1,000 and 60 days’ worth of jail time, depending on previous convictions. 

Keeping all road users safe as a responsible driver

Part of your responsibility as a licensed driver is ensuring that you adhere to all the laws of the road and take it upon yourself to feel accountable for the lives of your fellow road users. When this does not occur, authorities are forced to resort to harsher penalties in attempts to deter illegal driving behaviors. 

In an effort to catch these drivers faster, who continue to endanger the lives of others, New York state has completely overhauled its point system. The biggest change is that the threshold for license suspension in the state is now 10 points over a 24-month period instead of 11 points over 18 months. Additionally, certain illegal behaviors have now had their points updated, as well as other infractions now carrying points when they previously did not.