There’s a new traffic law in the U.S. related to safety of pedestrians and students using school buses. But, we are also going to talk about other traffic rules that will be applied in different states during 2026. So, to know more about these changes, you should keep reading this article.
New school buses law
In New Haven, Connecticut, there’s a new law that’s going to be applied from March 1 to improve students safety when they get on or off school buses. So, the main change will be the installation of cameras in these school buses to detect drivers who don’t stop when the bus has its stop arm extended and its red lights flashing.
Not every school bus has these cameras installed yet, 40% of school buses in the New Haven Public Schools district already have cameras installed. The remaining 60% are expected to be ready before the end of the grace period, which finishes on March 1. During this grace period, drivers who break the rule will not receive fines, but they will receive warning notices explaining what they did wrong and why they received an automated ticket.
After March 1, every violation can lead to an automatic fine of $250. The city has the authority to issue these fines, and drivers will have the chance to appeal or challenge them through a hearing process if they believe the ticket was unfair.
How the program works
The program doesn’t have an initial cost affecting the city of New Haven. The company Bus Patrol is in charge of installing the technology and handling the administrative work related to the cameras and ticketing system. Then, the company plans to recover its costs through a subscription fee paid by the city and a fixed fee connected to each ticket issued. The expectation is that the fines collected will cover these expenses.
Even New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker expects the program to generate about $400,000 in revenue during the 2026 fiscal year. However, he also pointed out that the main goal is not to collect money but to improve compliance with the law because as drivers learn to follow the rules, he expects the number of fines to decrease.
New Haven is not the only city of the country applying these types of laws. For example, Rochester (New York) has a comparable system with similar fines. Also, some states, like Missouri, have already created laws at state level with fines reaching $500.
All of this might sound like a good idea, but an incident involving a Waymo autonomous vehicle that committed the same violation raised questions about how laws like this can be applied when a self-driving car is responsible for breaking the rule.
Other traffic laws for this 2026
Apart from the school buses law, there are several traffic laws that we should mention since they will be applied this year. So, let’s have a look at some of them:
- In Louisiana, the ‘’touch law’’ ended its grace period on January 1. Therefore, drivers caught using their phones while driving may receive fines of up to $300 depending on their past offenses.
- In Maryland, a law installing 24/7 red-light cameras at nine intersections ended its grace period on January 5. Now, drivers who run red lights can receive a $75 fine.
- Georgia’s Senate Bill 291 will allow drivers to use a special “America First” license plate while still following the state’s rules about not obstructing license plates.
- California will introduce the Combating Auto Retail Scams Act, also called the CARS Act, in October 2026. This law will give buyers new rights when purchasing used cars, including the ability to return a car within three days without giving a reason.
- Another California law took effect on January 1, will increase penalties for using or selling license plate flippers, with fines reaching 1,000 dollars.
- Colorado is expected to pass a new law targeting organized street racing and speed contests. The proposal includes stronger punishments and would allow social media posts to be used as evidence.
- Connecticut is updating its process for young drivers by requiring additional courses and programs, including keeping cameras on during online training sessions.
So…
Understanding these rules helps drivers avoid penalties and, more importantly, protects people on the road. What do you think about all these new laws?