Starting on Jan. 1, 2020, California drivers approaching a stopped garbage truck with flashing amber lights must change lanes into a nearby available lane then pass at a safe distance. If this can’t be done safely, the driver must slow down. A bicyclist hit-and-run on a bike path is now a crime, as new laws come into play in 2019
A successful bill by Assemblyman Miguel Santiago, D-Los Angeles, was sponsored by the Service Employees International Union California. In California, similar “move-over” laws exist for police officers, emergency medical staff, firefighters, and tow truck drivers, according to Santiago’s office. Jackie Koenig, chief of staff for Santiago, said there are 18 states with move-over laws regarding sanitation workers. “These are people who do public service for us,” Koenig said. “If the opportunity is there to prevent one loss of life, then I think it’s a reason for the bill.”