Reviewed by Adrianos Facchetti, Esq., California State Bar No. 243213. This article was reviewed for California personal injury accuracy, legal clarity, and usefulness for people injured in pedestrian or crosswalk accidents. Attorney license status can be verified through the California State Bar attorney search.
California’s daylighting law restricts how close vehicles can park to a crosswalk. The goal is straightforward: keep the area near a crosswalk clear so that drivers can see pedestrians before they step into the street, and pedestrians can see approaching traffic before they step off the curb.
When a parked vehicle blocks that sightline and a pedestrian is struck, the blocked visibility becomes a central factual issue in any resulting injury claim. This article explains what the daylighting law requires, how it came about, and what it may mean if you were injured in a pedestrian accident where visibility was an issue.
What Is California’s Daylighting Law?
California’s daylighting law was enacted through Assembly Bill 413, which was approved in October 2023. AB 413 amended California Vehicle Code § 22500 to restrict stopping, standing, or parking near marked and unmarked crosswalks.
Under the amended law, a vehicle generally may not stop, park, or be left standing within 20 feet of the vehicle approach side of a marked or unmarked crosswalk. If the crosswalk has a curb extension, sometimes called a bulb-out, the restricted distance is generally 15 feet.
The purpose is simple: keep the area immediately before a crosswalk clear so approaching drivers can see pedestrians and pedestrians can see approaching traffic.
The law became effective January 1, 2024. Before January 1, 2025, jurisdictions were generally limited to issuing warnings for violations unless the restricted area was already marked with paint or signage. As of 2025, the statewide daylighting restriction applies even where the curb has not been painted red, unless a valid local exception applies.
You can review the full text of AB 413 through the California Legislative Information portal at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.
What AB 413 Actually Requires
California Vehicle Code § 22500 now prohibits stopping, standing, or parking in the daylighting zone on the vehicle approach side of a crosswalk.
A few practical clarifications worth understanding:
The 20-foot zone is on the approach side. The restriction applies to the space a driver approaches before reaching the crosswalk, not to the full 20 feet on both sides of every crosswalk.
It applies statewide. Unlike some traffic safety measures that allow cities to opt out or opt in, AB 413 created a baseline statewide restriction. Local cities may add stricter requirements, but no city can allow parking within the 20-foot zone simply by choosing not to enforce it.
Unmarked crosswalks are included. This is one of the most practically significant parts of the law. Many residential intersections in Los Angeles, Burbank, and other California cities have no painted crosswalk markings, but legal crosswalks still exist at those corners by operation of California law. The daylighting restriction applies at those locations too.
Local enforcement rules apply. Whether a city actively paints curbs red in the 20-foot zone, installs signs, or relies on officers to enforce the restriction varies by jurisdiction. LADOT and other local agencies are responsible for implementing and enforcing daylighting at the local level. More information on local implementation is available through LADOT at ladot.lacity.org and through Caltrans at dot.ca.gov.
Why Parking Near Crosswalks Is Dangerous
The research behind daylighting laws is grounded in a simple geometric problem. When a vehicle, particularly a large one like an SUV, van, or truck, is parked immediately adjacent to a crosswalk, it creates a wall of metal between the pedestrian at the curb and the approaching driver.
A pedestrian who steps off the curb at a crosswalk may be visible to the driver for a fraction of a second before a collision, not enough time to brake at typical urban driving speeds. Conversely, a pedestrian who cannot see approaching traffic until they have already stepped past the parked car may have no opportunity to stop before they are in the path of an oncoming vehicle.
This is not a theoretical concern. Traffic engineers have documented for decades that sight distance at crosswalks is one of the most significant factors in pedestrian crash risk. The 20-foot zone in AB 413 is designed to give both the driver and the pedestrian enough advance visibility to react before the collision happens.
How Daylighting Violations Can Affect a Pedestrian Accident Claim
A vehicle parked illegally within the 20-foot daylighting zone that contributed to a pedestrian being struck is a factual element that may be relevant to a personal injury claim, but how it is relevant depends on the specific circumstances.
A Parking Violation Is Not Automatic Proof of Liability
It is important to say this clearly: the fact that a vehicle was parked in violation of California Vehicle Code § 22500 does not automatically mean the parking violator is legally liable for the pedestrian’s injuries. California courts look at whether the violation was a substantial factor in causing the injury, not simply whether a rule was broken.
If the parked vehicle actually blocked the driver’s ability to see the pedestrian and blocked the pedestrian’s ability to see the vehicle, and those blocked sightlines were a substantial contributing cause of the crash, then the violation becomes directly relevant evidence of negligence. If the parked vehicle was 19 feet from the crosswalk and visibility was adequate despite the technical violation, the connection between the violation and the injury is much weaker.
The distinction matters for how a claim is built. The parking violation is evidence, not a conclusion.
The Driver Who Struck the Pedestrian
A driver who fails to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk may be negligent under California Vehicle Code § 21950 regardless of whether a daylighting violation was present. If the driver was speeding, distracted, or not watching for pedestrians, those failures exist independently of whether a parked car blocked visibility.
In practice, a blocked sightline case often involves comparative fault: the driver may argue that they could not see the pedestrian because of the parked car. The pedestrian may have a counter-argument that the driver should have been moving slowly enough to stop even with limited visibility or that the driver had other opportunities to see the pedestrian before the collision.
The Owner of the Illegally Parked Vehicle
When a specific vehicle was parked in the daylighting zone and created the obstruction that led to the collision, the owner of that vehicle may share liability. This is a less commonly pursued theory but one that may be relevant in cases where the sightline obstruction was directly caused by a specific identifiable vehicle parked in the restricted zone.
The City or a Property Owner
In some cases, the systemic absence of daylighting enforcement or the design of an intersection may support a claim against the city or a property owner. If LADOT or another agency received repeated complaints about dangerous parking at a specific crosswalk and took no action, or if the intersection was designed in a way that made crosswalk visibility systematically poor, the dangerous condition of public property framework under California Government Code § 835 may apply. These claims involve the same six-month government tort claim deadline discussed in our Los Angeles broken crosswalk signal accident lawyer and Los Angeles missing stop sign intersection accident lawyer pages.
What a Daylighting Violation Looks Like in a Real Accident Scenario
Consider a pedestrian crossing at a residential intersection in Los Angeles. The crosswalk has no painted markings but is a legal unmarked crosswalk by operation of California law. A full-size pickup truck is parked with its front bumper approximately 8 feet from the edge of the crosswalk, well inside the 20-foot daylighting zone.
The pedestrian, checking for traffic, sees nothing approaching from the left because the truck blocks the view. They step into the crosswalk. A driver approaching from the left, who cannot see the pedestrian because the truck is in the way, strikes the pedestrian at normal urban driving speed.
In that scenario, the daylighting violation is directly connected to the mechanism of the crash. The truck’s illegal position created the sightline obstruction that made the pedestrian invisible to the driver and the driver invisible to the pedestrian. That connection between the violation and the crash is what makes the daylighting law relevant to the injury claim.
Comparative Fault and Daylighting Cases
California uses a pure comparative fault system, which means fault for an accident can be divided between multiple parties. A pedestrian who shares some fault for the accident can still recover damages, but the recovery is reduced by their percentage of fault.
In a daylighting case, the comparative fault analysis often involves the driver, the pedestrian, and potentially the owner of the illegally parked vehicle. A driver who was traveling at a speed appropriate for a residential intersection with limited crosswalk visibility, who had no opportunity to see the pedestrian until after the collision, has a different fault profile than a driver who was speeding or distracted. A pedestrian who checked for traffic before crossing has a different profile than one who crossed while looking at their phone.
These distinctions matter for how the claim is valued and how each party’s liability is assessed. A Los Angeles pedestrian accident lawyer can evaluate the specific facts and explain how comparative fault would likely be allocated in a particular case.
What to Do If You Were Injured in a Pedestrian Accident Involving Blocked Visibility
If you were hit by a vehicle at a crosswalk where a parked vehicle or other obstruction may have blocked sightlines, a few steps can help preserve the evidence and protect your claim.
Get medical care immediately. Pedestrian accident injuries frequently involve head trauma, spinal injuries, and internal injuries that may not present their full severity at the scene. A same-day evaluation creates the medical record connecting your injuries to the accident.
Photograph the intersection thoroughly. Document where vehicles were parked relative to the crosswalk, the sight line from the driver’s approach direction, any parked vehicles still in the daylighting zone, crosswalk markings or their absence, and your visible injuries. Do this as soon as you are physically able, since parked vehicles move and the scene changes quickly.
Get the police report. Ask the responding officer to note the positions of parked vehicles relative to the crosswalk and whether any vehicles appeared to be in the daylighting zone.
Identify the parked vehicle that created the obstruction. If a specific vehicle was parked in the daylighting zone and directly blocked sightlines, note its make, model, color, and license plate if possible.
Get witness contact information. Other pedestrians, nearby residents, or other drivers who observed the intersection before or at the time of the crash may have relevant information.
Report the dangerous parking condition. If systematic daylighting violations at the same intersection were a contributing factor, a 311 report to LADOT creates an official record that may be relevant to a city liability analysis.
Talk to a lawyer before speaking to any insurance company. Recorded statements given before a full understanding of the facts and the applicable law can affect the outcome of a claim.
Cities Implementing Daylighting Locally
Several California cities, including San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and others, began implementing daylighting measures before AB 413 made it a statewide requirement. These cities painted curbs red in the 20-foot zone near crosswalks and reported reductions in conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles at those locations.
Los Angeles has been implementing daylighting as part of its Vision Zero pedestrian safety initiative. LADOT has been expanding red curb markings near crosswalks in high-pedestrian-traffic areas. For information on Los Angeles-specific daylighting implementation, current guidance is available through LADOT at ladot.lacity.org.
For residents in Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, and other cities in Los Angeles County, each city’s own transportation department implements and enforces the daylighting requirement within its jurisdiction. The statewide 20-foot rule applies regardless of whether local curbs have been painted red.
How This Connects to Other Pedestrian Intersection Safety Issues
Blocked visibility at crosswalks is one of several intersection safety failures that can contribute to pedestrian accidents in Los Angeles. Missing or malfunctioning traffic control is another. In some cases, a pedestrian accident may involve both a daylighting violation and another intersection safety failure. A crosswalk where a broken signal created confusion and a parked vehicle blocked visibility presents a more complex liability picture than either factor alone.
If you were injured in a pedestrian accident in Burbank, our Burbank pedestrian accident lawyer page covers how these claims work specifically in that jurisdiction. For the broader vehicle accident context, our Los Angeles car accident lawyer page addresses driver negligence in intersection crashes.
Frequently Asked Questions About California’s Daylighting Law
What is the California daylighting law?
California’s daylighting law is a statewide parking restriction created by AB 413. It generally prohibits stopping, standing, or parking within 20 feet of the vehicle approach side of a marked or unmarked crosswalk, or within 15 feet of a crosswalk with a curb extension. The purpose is to improve visibility between pedestrians and approaching drivers.
Does a daylighting violation automatically make the parking violator liable for a pedestrian accident?
No. A daylighting violation is evidence that may be relevant to a negligence claim, but California law requires showing that the violation was a substantial factor in causing the injury. The specific sightline conditions, the driver’s conduct, and the pedestrian’s actions all factor into the liability and comparative fault analysis.
Does the 20-foot rule apply at crosswalks without painted markings?
Yes. California law recognizes unmarked crosswalks at most intersections where two public roads meet, and the daylighting restriction applies to those unmarked crosswalks as well as to painted crosswalks.
Who enforces the daylighting law in Los Angeles?
LADOT is responsible for enforcing parking restrictions on city streets in Los Angeles. Local parking enforcement officers and LAPD may issue citations for violations. Whether a specific location has been marked with red curb paint is a local implementation decision, but the 20-foot restriction applies statewide even without curb markings.
Can I make a claim against the city if poor intersection design contributed to a pedestrian accident?
Possibly, under the dangerous condition of public property framework in California Government Code § 835. These claims require showing the agency had actual or constructive notice of the dangerous condition and failed to take protective action. Claims against public entities generally must be filed within six months under California Government Code § 911.2.
Talk With a Los Angeles Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
If you were injured at a crosswalk in Los Angeles where blocked visibility, a daylighting violation, or dangerous parking conditions contributed to the accident, the Law Offices of Adrianos Facchetti can review what happened and explain your options.
These cases involve fact-specific analysis of what was visible from the driver’s approach, what was visible from the pedestrian’s position, and who bears responsibility for the conditions that made the crash foreseeable. A lawyer can identify the responsible parties, preserve the intersection evidence, and evaluate the comparative fault picture before it is shaped by insurance company narratives.
Free consultation. No fee unless we recover compensation for you. Call (626) 793-8607, available 24 hours a day.
This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. California law can change. Every case depends on its own specific facts. For guidance about your situation, consult a licensed California attorney.
