California’s Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom has signed into law a bill decriminalizing jaywalking, in most cases.
Most street designs only take into account the needs of drivers and not those who choose to walk, it said. Plus, under-resourced communities tend not to have infrastructure like crosswalks or pedestrian-crossing buttons.
The bill is scheduled to come into effect on Jan.1, 2023. The police will not be able to use jaywalking as a “pretext” to detain someone, the release stated.
Past Deaths, Other States
California has seen multiple deaths involving jaywalking. Around four years ago, a resident, Chinedu Okobi, ended up being killed by San Mateo County deputies in Millbrae while they attempted to arrest him on jaywalking charges.In 2017, another resident was beaten up by Sacramento police after stopping him for jaywalking. The individual suffered serious injuries.
In September 2020, police shot Kurt Reinhold for jaywalking. Prior to the incident, the officers were arguing about whether Reinhold needed to be pulled up for jaywalking or not.
Other states have taken action against jaywalking laws. In 2021, Nevada and Virginia, for example, both decriminalized jaywalking. In Missouri, Kansas City decriminalized jaywalking last year.
One in six people who died in crashes that year were pedestrians. An estimated 104,000 emergency-room visits were recorded of pedestrians who were treated for non-fatal injuries due to crashes.