HAPPY NEW YEAR! Now that the celebrations of welcoming the new year are drowning, we are here to splash some cold water of reality. In 2023, there will be some new car laws that will be implemented. Read to know more!
With the dawn of 2023, there will be a lot of new transportation laws. On January 1, a few new traffic rules will go into effect. What you need to know is this:
New D.M.V. rules for Californians in 2023
Californians 70+ Can No Longer Renew Online post-December 31, 2022
The law in California will again require drivers 70 and older to renew their licenses in person at a D.M.V. office. People 70 and older only have a few more days to take advantage of the temporary rule that lets them renew their driver’s licenses or identification cards online or by mail, even if their renewal notice says they have to go to a D.M.V. field office.
New Permanently Disabled Parking Placard Renewal Requirement
The D.M.V. is sending notices to Californians who have had their permanent Disabled Person Parking Placard for at least six years and asking them to confirm that they still need one. The D.M.V. will only renew placards for people who answer. SB 611, legislation passed in 2017 to stop fraud and abuse of Disabled Person Parking Placards, includes this renewal requirement.
Consumer Warnings for Semiautonomous Vehicles
Dealers and manufacturers who sell new passenger cars with a partial driving automation feature or provide a software update or car upgrade that adds such a feature are required to explain how it works and what it can’t do. The law also says that a manufacturer or dealer can’t dishonestly advertise a feature.
Improved Safety for Bicycle Riders
Drivers must now change lanes when possible to pass cyclists. This is in addition to the current rule that drivers must give cyclists at least three feet of space when passing. The law also lets people on Class 3 e-bikes use approved bike paths, trails, bikeways, and bike lanes. Also, starting on January 1, 2024, the law will let cyclists cross an intersection when a walk sign is on.
Ban Sideshows at Parking Lots
Along with public roads, parking lots are now places where street racing and sideshows are not allowed. Another law passed in 2021 (AB 3, Fong) says that if someone breaks this rule, their driver’s license can be taken away starting July 1, 2025.
Steps to prevent thefts of Catalytic Converters
These laws make it more important for recyclers to keep detailed records of the catalytic converters they get and for only authorized parties to be able to sell used catalytic converters. These laws are meant to stop the rising theft of catalytic converters and keep Californians and their cars safer.
The Veteran Designation on Driver’s Licenses
This law removes the $5 fee for getting a “VETERAN” designation on a driver’s license or identification (I.D.I.D.) card.
Toll exemptions for some Veterans
This law says that veterans with special license plates don’t have to pay tolls on roads, bridges, highways, vehicular crossings, or other toll facilities. The exemption only applies to vehicles with license plates given to disabled veterans, Pearl Harbor survivors, prisoners of war, or veterans who have won awards like the Purple Heart or the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Bringing About Modernization
Digital Notifications and Remote Renewals
Customers can now get certain D.M.V. notices electronically if they want to. Before, they had to wait for the mail. It also eliminates the requirement that a car salesperson’s license is renewed in person. The law will help save time and paper and reduce the number of transactions needed at a field office.
License plates, Stickers, Tabs, and Registration cards Alternatives
Digital license plates, vinyl front license plate wraps, and digital registration cards will be available through a D.M.V. program. The pilot program has added 19,000 digital license plate customers, 5,000 vinyl license plate customers, and 100 e-registration customers since 2015. The D.M.V. will create rules to meet permanent program requirements.
Promoting Fairness in the Reform of License Suspension Law
The California state courts will stop sending notices to the D.M.V. about license suspensions for failing to appear on January 1, 2023. The D.M.V. will be required to stop suspending licenses for failing to appear on January 1, 2027, to give time for computer programming changes.
New DMV rules for Illinoisans in 2023
Many new laws for Illinois will take effect at the start of 2023. When you get behind the wheel of a car in January, there will be changes, whether you are a teen or an adult.
HB3772
HB3772 is good news for people who have had their cars stolen. The number of carjackings and car thefts has increased greatly in Chicago and its suburbs. This law is meant to help victims by ensuring they don’t have to pay for violations, towing fees, or fines after their car is stolen or carjacked.
If your car is stolen and the person who took it gets fines for tolls, speeding, or running red lights, or if your car ends up in storage, you won’t have to pay those bills because you weren’t driving the car.Â
To get their money back, drivers must show proof that the car was stolen and a police report was made. Up to $1,000 will also be paid back for towing and storage fees.
SB03793
Also, drivers need to be especially careful around schools. Under SB03793, anyone who drives faster than 20 mph in a school zone must do community service. If you are caught speeding past a school bus with its stop sign out, you will get the same fine.
Special Laws for Disabled Drivers
Another new law helps drivers who can’t see or hear well. It says that a licensed physical therapist, instead of a doctor, can now vouch for them to get a parking placard. Some people who are driving have a problem with 100 percent. They can drive the car but need a card that says they have a disability.
HB04716
There are new rules for teenagers who drive. With HB04716, the training in Illinois for drivers younger than 18 is now the same as in the rest of the country. Public school students who take driver’s ed will have to pass the national program, which requires more hours in the classroom and behind the wheel.
The only people who can use that driver’s ed program are public school students. If you sign up for a private driving school, the rules for getting a license are different.
Emission Standards for 2023
The question of where car emissions standards should be set for the next few years has become controversial.
The E.P.A. has finished making rules for 2023–2026 about how much pollution cars can make. The agency says they’re the strictest they’ve ever been, which will pay off for the American people in a big way down the road.
What sort of returns? The E.P.A. says its new goals will save U.S.U.S. citizens $190 billion in net benefits. This is because they will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, airborne pollutants, and their effects on the health of the population as a whole. They will also save money at the gas pump because corporate average fuel economy requirements will be much stricter.
BMW, Ford, Honda, and Volkswagen supported California when the Trump administration moved to overturn the state’s pollution rules. GM, Stellantis, and Toyota may challenge the new rules.
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