Traffic safety.

Existing law creates the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) within the Transportation Agency. Existing law provides various duties of Caltrans, including, among others, coordinating and assisting, upon request of the various public and private transportation entities in strengthening their development and operation of balanced integrated mass transportation, highway, aviation, maritime, railroad, and other transportation facilities and services in support of statewide and regional goals. This bill would require, beginning June 1, 2022, and every 6 months thereafter, Caltrans to convene a committee of external design experts to advise on revisions to the Highway Design Manual. Existing law establishes the California Traffic Safety Program, which consists of a comprehensive plan in conformity with the laws of this state to reduce traffic accidents and deaths, injuries, and property damage resulting from accidents. Existing law requires the program to include provisions to improve driver performance, including, driver education, driver testing to determine proficiency to operate motor vehicles, and driver examinations and licensing, and provisions to improve bicyclist and pedestrian education and performance. This bill would require the California Traffic Safety Program to include a traffic safety monitoring program that identifies and addresses locations with pedestrian- and bicyclist-related crashes, upon appropriation of state funds for this purpose. Existing law establishes various speed limits and prohibits a person from driving with a greater speed than those limits. Existing law prohibits a peace officer or other person from using a speed trap in arresting, or participating in the arrest of, any person for any alleged violation of the Vehicle Code, and prohibits the use of a speed trap in securing evidence as to the speed of any vehicle for the purpose of an arrest or prosecution under the Vehicle Code. Existing law defines the term "speed trap," for these purposes, among other things, to include a particular section of a highway with a prima facie speed limit that is provided by the Vehicle Code or by local ordinance, if that prima facie speed limit is not justified by an engineering and traffic survey conducted within a specified number of years of the alleged violation, and enforcement of the speed limit involves the use of radar or any other electronic device. This bill would extend the period of time a prima facie speed limit may be justified by an engineering and traffic survey, as specified, if a registered engineer evaluates the section of the highway and finds that there has been an increase in traffic-related crashes.