California Assembly Bill 2147, the Freedom to Walk Act, prohibits jaywalking citations unless a reasonably careful person would foresee immediate collision risk, dramatically reducing pedestrian stops and equity-focused enforcement statewide.
California AB-2147 (effective 2023) amended Vehicle Code section 21955 so police cannot cite pedestrians for crossing outside crosswalks unless there is an immediate danger of collision that a reasonably careful person would foresee. The law was passed to address racial disparities in jaywalking enforcement and to recognize that infrastructure often forces pedestrians to cross mid-block. SJPD enforcement has dropped substantially since the law took effect. Officers must articulate specific facts showing collision risk, not merely that someone crossed against a signal or outside a marked crosswalk. Pedestrians remain liable for injuries if they cross unsafely.
Vehicle Code section 21955 violations are infractions with fines around two hundred fifty dollars when an actual immediate hazard exists; civil liability remains if a pedestrian's unsafe crossing contributes to a collision.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
San Jose, CA
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