State Senator Kelly Seyarto, District 32 | Official U.S. Senate headshot
State Senator Kelly Seyarto, District 32 | Official U.S. Senate headshot
The Governor has vetoed SB 936, legislation that aimed to prioritize road safety improvements on some of California’s most dangerous roads.
This bill proposed that the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) publish a study identifying the top 15 locations in the state highway system with the highest rate of vehicle collisions. The goal was to then properly fund and prioritize rehabilitation for those roads.
The legislation was inspired by particularly hazardous stretches of road across the state, including “Dead Man’s Curve” on the Pacific Coast Highway and the Ramona Expressway through San Jacinto and Perris. Local municipalities have declared states of emergency to free up resources for these dangerous roads, but little state action has been taken in response.
Car crashes are a leading cause of unintentional injury or death for Californians. Traffic fatalities increased by 22% from 2019 to 2022, with severe and fatal traffic crashes resulting in $166 billion in economic and quality-of-life costs for Californians in 2022 alone.
“SB 936 was a critical step toward addressing the safety risks that countless Californians face every day on our highways,” stated a supporter of the bill. “We cannot afford to continue patching up dangerous roads with short-term fixes that cost lives and escalate expenses in the long run.”
“This bill would have provided a targeted, data-driven approach to ensuring that our most hazardous roadways receive the attention and rehabilitation they desperately need,” another supporter added.
Expressing disappointment over the veto, an advocate commented, "I'm deeply disappointed by the veto, as it sends a message that road safety isn’t being prioritized at a time when fatalities are on the rise."
Despite this setback, proponents vow to continue advocating for road and public safety measures in Sacramento.
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