New traffic laws for 2026
Karina Bazarte
CALEXICO, Calif. (KYMA) – The Calexico Police Department (CPD) is reminding drivers that several new traffic laws take effect on January 1, with changes aimed at improving road safety throughout the city.
According to CPD, multiple new assembly bills will go into effect, many of them impacting everyday traffic laws.
“Tomorrow, the new laws will be coming into play here, several assembly bills which will be mostly affecting traffic,” said Calexico Police Officer Nicolas Monninger.
One of the changes affects electric bicycles. Police say all e-bikes must now have a mandatory rear red light or reflector at all times to increase visibility and reduce crashes.
Another law reinforces the “move over” requirement for drivers approaching vehicles with emergency lights activated. Drivers must change lanes when possible or slow down if they are unable to move over.
“If you can’t move over, you can’t move over your lane. You need to slow down to avoid the collision. People are getting out to assess their vehicle. Who knows what’s going on…they could be having an emergency of some sort. You need to get over to the side or slow down to protect those drivers as much as possible,” said Officer Monninger.
Police also say speed limits in school zones may soon be reduced. While changes depend on each city, Calexico could lower school zone speed limits to 20 miles per hour.
“The speed may be reduced down to 20, but it depends on the city. So Calexico may require that the speed limits in school zones come down to 20 miles an hour, and they’re saying by 2031 all school zones will be reduced down,” said Monninger.
CPD warn that drivers who fail to follow these new traffic laws could face citations or possible jail time. Police also urge motorists to stay informed and drive safely as the new laws take effect.