Yusra Farzan
covers Orange County and its 34 cities, watching those long meetings — boards, councils and more — so you don’t have to.
Published November 18, 2023 9:00 AM
A person holds a sign in opposition to the Chino Valley policy during the vote on July 20, 2023 in Chino, California.
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Topline:
Chino Valley Unified School District has passed a controversial policy in which parents, guardians, students, staff or even district residents can formally lodge a complaint to remove a non-curriculum book from a school or teacher’s classroom library if they think it contains “sexually obscene content.”
What opponents say: Kristi Hirst, the co-founder of Our Schools USA, a nonprofit that advocates for education equity, calls the new policy a “book ban.”
What proponents say: Supporters of the new policy said it falls in line with religious scripture and will prevent children from going “astray.”
Chino Valley Unified School District has passed a controversial policy in which parents, guardians, students, staff or even district residents can formally lodge a complaint to remove a non-curriculum book from a school or teacher’s classroom library if they think it contains “sexually obscene content.”
The policy, however, would not apply to books that are part of the state-approved curriculum.
Once a formal complaint is lodged, the principal of the school must remove the book and inform the superintendent within three days. The superintendent would then notify the school board, which would hold a public hearing within 45 days to determine if the book will be permanently removed.
Kristi Hirst, the co-founder of Our Schools USA, a nonprofit that advocates for education equity, called the new policy a “book ban.” The policy, she said, has been “copied and pasted from a political, religious activist” who lives in Tennessee and its one they use to explicitly ban books with LGBTQIA+ themes.
“They're adopting this very broad strategy that removes power from parents and gives the decision to the board unilaterally. The board gets to review the books on their own and they get to make the decision,” said Hirst, who has three children in the Chino Valley school district and is a former teacher with the district. “There is no review team that reads the book and decides together, which is what we already had in place. They're removing that policy and instead supplanting it with a policy that gives the board complete power over what books get removed.”
The new policy, she said, would also open up the district to litigation under AB 1078. In September, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the law effectively outlawing the banning of books categorized as inclusive or diverse.
The Chino Valley USD policy was able to pass as a book has not been explicitly banned yet. Parents, guardians and district residents now have the option to flag material they deem sexually inappropriate for children.
California has already sued Chino Valley Unified for what it's calling a “forced outing” policy, where schools are required to tell parents if their children change pronouns, use a different name or come out as transgender.
Supporters of the new policy said it falls in line with religious scripture and will prevent children from going “astray.”
A tent under Ponderosa Pine during winter in Yosemite, California.
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Topline:
Summer may be long over, but camping in the wintertime in California can be just as magical.
Coastal camping: For warmer winter climates, head to the coast — but still check the weather forecast. Therese Cools, park aide for Sonoma Coast State Park, said the Sonoma Coast can get some of its best weather in the winter, with blue skies overhead and less wind than usual. Wintertime isn’t the best for water sports but there's a wealth of seabirds and other wildlife to explore.
Mountain camping: If you’re planning on heading to higher ground, know it’s likely to snow. Conditions can change rapidly at high elevations, so don’t just check the weather once a few weeks out,, and double check the forecast regularly.
Read on... for tips on how to pack for your trip and a list of camping sites in Northern California.
Summer may be long over, but what if I told you that camping in the wintertime in California can be just as magical as in the warmer months — or even more so?
And you don’t even have to embark upon camping in snow, like you might be envisioning. While that’s certainly available if you want it, there are also a wealth of incredible campsites right here in the Bay Area — or close at hand — where the weather isn’t even all that cold in winter.
From firsthand experience, I can tell you that it doesn’t take much to convert your normal summer setup to a winter one — and it’s also much easier to get reservations to hard-to-get spots during the winter months.
“It can be a lot of fun as long as you come prepared,” said Lillie Oravetz, a state park interpreter II at Calaveras Big Trees State Park in Calaveras and Tuolumne counties. “You’re gonna get cold, but it’s really beautiful.”
Read on for tips from the experts, or jump straight to five great winter camping spots to start planning your winter excursion now. And remember: If you read this and the idea of pitching your tent in the colder months still doesn’t appeal, you can always go glamping instead.
Expert tips on planning a successful winter camping trip
Tip: For warmer winter climates, head to the coast — but still check the weather forecast
Therese Cools, park aide for Sonoma Coast State Park, said the Sonoma Coast can get some of its best weather in the winter, with blue skies overhead and less wind than usual.
But be aware: That area does get heavy rains starting in January, so don’t forget to check the weather forecast ahead of time.
“If it’s raining heavily, it’s not a great place” for camping, Cools said, “But when there’s not a storm coming through, it’s beautiful.”
November is also crabbing season on the coast, so if you’d like a fresh catch, come this month. Or for a front seat for California’s famed King Tides, plan your trip for January, she said.
Wintertime isn’t the best for water sports, so unless you’re an expert, you may want to leave your surfboard at home and plan to stay out of the ocean altogether. But you should bring your binoculars, as there’s a wealth of seabirds and other wildlife to explore on the Sonoma Coast, many of which spend the winter on the coast in large flocks.
Tip: Unless you’re ready for snow, avoid the mountains
If you’re planning on heading to higher ground, know it’s likely to snow. In Calaveras, which is 4,600 feet above sea level, “it’s pretty unpredictable when we will get snow,” Oravetz said — “but we can guarantee at some point there’ll be snow.”
And conditions can change rapidly at high elevations, so don’t just check the weather once a few weeks out, Oravetz warned. Double check the forecast regularly, “a couple of days in advance” for a more accurate forecast, she cautioned.
Don’t forget: No matter where you’re going, but especially if you are planning to go up high in elevation, be sure to check nighttime temperatures ahead of time and be prepared for below-freezing nights.
Tip: Make a plan — and a plan B
Rachel Borick, operations manager at private campground Costanoa on the San Mateo County coast, said her number one piece of advice for winter camping is: “Be prepared and always have a backup plan.”
On the coast, that might mean preparing for heavy rains in the winter. In the mountains, you’ll need to prepare for snow and below-freezing conditions as well.
But even “a rainy day spent in a tent with the right supplies can be more memorable than a perfectly sunny day on the trails,” she said. “Having an open mind and leaning in to what Mother Nature provides is vital.”
Know where you’re going and what you’re planning to do, but make sure you have other options in case your trailhead is no longer accessible — or if winter weather makes travel downright unsafe. Take note of towns with services like gas stations and hotels near your camping destination, just in case you need to bail on your plans outright and hunker down.
Don’t forget that many campgrounds and wilderness areas have no cellphone service — so in winter, it’s especially important to know your exit routes and bailout points ahead of time.
Tip: Bring layers
No matter where you’re going, remember to bring waterproof and windproof gear.
Calaveras’ Oravetz went one step further and advised campers to come prepared for almost any weather. “Sometimes it might snow, but then be pretty warm the next day, and we don’t want people to overheat,” she cautioned
Brian Low is the general manager at Club Urban Diversion, a Bay Area-based social club that organizes all sorts of outdoor trips, including winter camping. Low said his winter packing list varies by location, but “no matter what the forecast is showing, you’re always going to want to pack some sort of rain gear,” he said. And don’t forget insulating layers to go underneath for warmth, too, urged Low.
Layers are the most efficient way to pack for winter camping “because it’s easy to either layer up to get warmer, or easy to take off layers to adjust your body heat to make sure that you’re not getting too warm or too cold,” he said.
Costanoa Lodge & Camp offers year-round hot showers, hot meals and even a sauna.
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Tip: Pack smart, and bring backup gear
Calaveras’ Oravetz said starting in November, anyone traveling up to the higher elevations should bring chains for their car, “just in case.” That goes for extra fuel in your car, too.
“You could come up for a couple of days here or go further up the mountain, and then a snowstorm comes in,” she said.
If you’re parking on the side of the road and not at a campsite, be aware of potential avalanche areas and snowplow routes. Low warned — you don’t want to return to your car only to find it buried.
Bring or plan to store extra water, Oravetz said, since the pipes at some campgrounds, like Calaveras’, can freeze, so the only available water is at a central location. And remember that even in the winter, you need to store your food safely away from bears in bear canisters or food lockers provided at each campsite.
The upside? There shouldn’t be too many bugs in the winter, so you can leave your DEET at home. But remember that the sun sets early in the winter, so make sure to bring ample light and something to do during the night hours, like a deck of cards or a book to read.
Staying warm at night is important, Low said — and one way to stay toasty that might surprise you is to get up and out of your tent as soon as you realize you have to pee.
That’s because your body is sending energy to your bladder that could otherwise be used to keep you warm, he said.
“It’s a lot better to just actually bite the bullet, get out of your tent, put on your shoes and just go pee,” he said. “At the end of the day, you’ll be a lot happier because you’ll sleep better, you’ll be warmer.”
Just remember that even in winter, you have to properly dispose of any and all waste — that includes any trash, food waste and especially poop — as anything buried in snow is headed for a waterway come spring.
In general, if you have any questions — or are at all worried about winter camping — you can always call ahead to the campground or wilderness area for advice on that particular spot.
“Winters, especially snow camping, can be very intimidating for people just because of the temperatures,” Low said. “But with the right gear list and the right techniques, then you can really have an amazing time.”
Your winter and snow camping gear checklist
As an expert in winter camping, Low recommends bringing these items for your next cold-weather or snow trip:
A zero-degree sleeping bag, or warmer
Remember: the ratings on sleeping bags tell you the temperature at which it will keep you alive, not comfortable: “Generally speaking, you want a zero-degree bag for anywhere that it’s going to be below 30 degrees,” Low said. “It’s better to have a bag that is a little too warm and not warm enough.”
If you’re still worried about warmth, a sleeping bag liner can add five or 10 degrees of warmth to the bag you might already have.
Synthetic or wool clothing to hike and sleep in
Forget cotton, Low said, because once you sweat in it, or it gets wet, cotton takes a really long time to dry out. If you’re backpacking or going for a long hike, abide by the saying “be bold, start cold” by peeling off layers before they get drenched in sweat.
And if you’ve just gotten back from a hike and are overly warm, take that opportunity to remove any sweaty items and change into your warmest clothes, including a beanie and gloves — to best retain your body heat all evening long.
Low recommends this type of stove over a more typical backpacking gas fuel stove because the fuel canister will maintain its pressure and perform better at cold temperatures.
In addition to cooking, you can use your stove to melt snow for drinking water, but remember to find a clean, undisturbed patch of snow — and to be extra safe, you can always boil the water before drinking it.
Microspikes, crampons or snowshoes
For traction underfoot, depending on your activity. Low said he loves using microspikes for walking around camp in slippery conditions because they keep you on your feet while not being as clunky as snowshoes.
Lots of food
Eating a good amount of calories will keep you warm, and cooking up a hot meal of fresh — not dehydrated — food can make your evening that much more enjoyable, Low said.
A doubled-up sleeping pad
Low said that one of his guiding colleagues — who’s summited Denali, the highest mountain in North America — swears by putting an inflatable pad underneath a foam pad for the warmest night’s sleep. (Don’t forget to check the “R value” of any pad you bring — that will tell you its warmth).
Low even recommends inflating your pad with a small pump instead of blowing it up by mouth, to keep out condensation, which can freeze inside your pad.
A small shovel
If the snow is deep where you’re camping, bring something with which you can dig out a seating area, kitchen and even a trash bag-lined toilet to use, as recommended by Low.
Any durable tent
Any model will do, Low said — even a three-season tent, so long as heavy snow isn’t in the forecast. When to consider a four-season tent instead: If you know you’ll be out in a heavy storm with the risk of high winds, or snowfall that could pile up and break your tent poles.
A Nalgene-style water bottle
Before going to bed, a bottle like this can be filled up with boiling water, screwed nice and tight and placed inside your sleeping bag to act as a heater. Just remember to wrap it in a sock, so you don’t get burned by accident.
Hand and toe warmers
Typically used by skiers, these are perfect for placing inside clothes or a sleeping bag for warmth.
Plastic bags
Use these to keep your socks dry in your boots, if they’re not as waterproof as they need to be.
5 beautiful wintertime camping spots to try this year
Sonoma Coast State Park
Both Bodega Dunes and Wright’s Beach at Sonoma Coast State Park are open all winter long to campers and RVers, although they don’t have hookups. Campsites start at $45 per night and reservations can be made on ReserveCalifornia. Both campgrounds allow campfires all year round.
Park aid Cools said while Wright’s Beach fills up more quickly, Bodega Dunes tends to have more availability on winter weekends — and weekday reservations are easy to get in the winter.
“During the winter, the Sonoma Coast can be really nice with blue skies — and it tends to be less windy,” she said.
Yosemite National Park
Itching to experience Yosemite without the craziness of summer crowds? Winter might be your best bet.
“I love to go to Yosemite in the wintertime,” Low said. “It is so beautiful, and you can get a piece of Yosemite all to yourself without a person in sight.”
Or, take Low’s suggestion and get a wilderness permit to backpack into Dewey Point or along any route off Glacier Point Road once the first five miles of road to Badger Pass Ski Area are plowed (check the park website or call 209-372-0200 for status updates) and the rest is groomed for cross-country skiing.
“How often do you get to go to a place that’s as busy as Yosemite and camp in a spot where there’s not another soul around for as far as you can see?” Low said. “Waking up to see Half Dome or to see El Cap and watching the sun rise on the dawn wall while having a cup of coffee or tea is spectacular.”
Calaveras Big Trees State Park
Located on Highway 4 in the Sierra Nevada range, Calaveras Big Trees State Park — known for its massive sequoia trees — is open all year round. That said, some camp spots and parts of the park close to cars after the first significant snowfall or by Dec. 1, Oravetz said. This includes Parkway Road, which closes off access to the Stanislaus River and two groves of big trees, plus a couple of picnic areas and some camping. But those areas are still accessible to snowshoers and cross-country skiers, she said — so your sense of adventure could be rewarded by having these beautiful areas devoid of summer crowds.
Oravetz recommends the North Grove Trail for visitors looking to wander among the big trees on snowshoes or cross-country skis.
“The snow is beautiful against the giant sequoias,” she said.
But be warned, the trail is popular with visitors and locals alike, and can get quite busy between Christmas and the New Year.
That area is not open to general snowplay, so Oravetz recommends heading to Parkway Road instead to sled, build snowmen or start a snowball fight.
Among the redwoods of Memorial Park in San Mateo County, the Azalea Flat campground stays open all year long while other nearby camping areas close for the winter. RVs, trailers and campfires are allowed, and buying wood to burn at the park is recommended to avoid spreading bugs from park to park, said Carla Schoof, spokesperson for San Mateo County Parks Department.
Schoof said while the park gets crowded in summer, it’s not so full in the winter, which can make it feel extra peaceful.
“It’s relatively easy to get to, but you really do feel like you’re far away,” she said. “You are deep in the Santa Cruz Mountain Range, surrounded by redwoods.”
Plus, the nearby towns of Loma Mar and Pescadero offer opportunities to get supplies and explore — which may be extra necessary in the winter, when Memorial Park’s camp store is closed, she said.
At over a century old, the park is “a special place to a lot of people … who’ve been going camping there since they were pretty small,” Schoof said.
Park rangers are happy to answer questions about park conditions and camping. They can be reached at 650-879-0238, Schoof said, and reservations can also be made online and are $32 per night in the off-season.
Costanoa Lodge & Camp
If you’d like a more bougie experience (and who could blame you?), the Costanoa private campgrounds on the San Mateo County coast are known for their “failproof camping,” Borick, the camping and glamping resort’s operations manager, said.
But still, prepare for anything: “You could end up with a full storm, huddled with your campmates, hot cocoa in hand, with a story to tell — or out on a muddy trail with the spectacular view of a clear winter’s day, she said.
“Having a beach all to yourself, or the top of a viewpoint with the silence surrounding you, can be truly worth the invigoration of a winter camping trip,” Borick said.
And the winter season brings abundant bird migrations and elephant seal pupping at nearby Año Nuevo State Park that can even be heard from the property, Borick said.
Austin Cross
helps Angelenos make sense of news, politics, and more as host of Morning Edition, AirTalk Fridays and The L.A. Report.
Published November 28, 2025 12:00 PM
A screenshot of Mitch Allen, founder of HireSanta.com, during an interview with LAist host Austin Cross.
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Topline:
The sleigh business is slumping — at least for house calls. Mitch Allen, founder of HireSanta.com, says demand for home visits from the big man has dropped about 20% to 25% in Southern California, according to booking data.
Why the decline? Allen said fewer people are inviting Santa to their holiday events — economic uncertainty and rising consumer debt have families rethinking whether they really need St. Nick to make a living room cameo.
Read on... for a list of places you can visit Santa for free this holiday season.
The sleigh business is slumping — at least for house calls.
Mitch Allen, founder of HireSanta.com, said demand for home visits from the big man has dropped about 20% to 25% in Southern California, according to booking data, as fewer people are inviting Santa to their holiday events.
Allen said over the last few years economic uncertainty and rising consumer debt have families rethinking whether they really need St. Nick to make a living room cameo.
“People are still celebrating Christmas, still getting together with their family and friends,” Allen said. “But instead of having a big blowout event where you bring Santa and Mrs. Claus… now we’re just bringing families together.”
Mall visits remain popular
Don’t feel too bad for old Kris Kringle. Demand for Santas at the mall is still up, Allen said.
There are lots of options across Southern California. Here are a few we rounded up with free access:
Ovation shopping center in Hollywood, starting Nov. 29. Free photos with Santa. Details online.
Anaheim Hills Festival mall, Dec. 13. Free event entry to their Holiday Spectacular. Includes Santa visits, crafts and face painting.
Allen said corporate demand is also steady — or even increased — as businesses book Santas for various events. No sideline Santas here; our boy’s stacking those corporate checks.
How it works
Allen’s company has connected people with pro Santas since 2012 and has a database of about 5,000 Santas nationwide. When it comes to Santa selection, Allen said the company has a simple formula: “You gotta have a real beard, a real belly, and be real jolly.”
His company handles suits, boots and belts, but the twinkle in the eye comes straight from the Santas — and Allen said it’s mandatory.
SoCal still loves them some Santa, even with the dip in home visits. Allen said if you’re thinking about booking a visit, schedule soon as time is running short.
President Donald Trump vowed on Thanksgiving to "permanently pause migration" from poorer nations in a blistering late-night, anti-immigrant screed posted to social media.
Why now: The extended rant came in the wake of the Wednesday shooting of two National Guard members who were deployed to patrol Washington, D.C. under Trump's orders, one of whom died shortly before the president spoke to U.S. troops by video on Thursday evening.
Why it matters: Trump's threat to stop immigration would be a serious blow to a nation that has long defined itself as welcoming immigrants.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump vowed on Thanksgiving to "permanently pause migration" from poorer nations in a blistering late-night, anti-immigrant screed posted to social media.
The extended rant came in the wake of the Wednesday shooting of two National Guard members who were deployed to patrol Washington, D.C. under Trump's orders, one of whom died shortly before the president spoke to U.S. troops by video on Thursday evening.
A 29-year-old Afghan national who worked with the CIA during the Afghanistan War is facing charges for the shooting. The suspect emigrated as part of a program to resettle those who has helped American troops after U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
"Only REVERSE MIGRATION can fully cure this situation," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. "Other than that, HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL, except those that hate, steal, murder, and destroy everything that America stands for — You won't be here for long!"
Trump's threat to stop immigration would be a serious blow to a nation that has long defined itself as welcoming immigrants.
Elected on a promise to crack down on illegal migration, Trump's raids and deportations have disrupted communities across the U.S. as construction sites and schools have been targets. The prospect of more deportations could be economically dangerous as America's foreign-born workers account for nearly 31 million jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The president said on Truth Social that "most" foreign-born U.S. residents "are on welfare, from failed nations, or from prisons, mental institutions, gangs, or drug cartels" as he blamed them for crime across the country that is predominantly committed by U.S. citizens.
The perception that immigration breeds crime "continues to falter under the weight of the evidence," according to a review of academic literature last year in the Annual Review of Criminology.
"With few exceptions, studies conducted at both the aggregate and individual levels demonstrate that high concentrations of immigrants are not associated with increased levels of crime and delinquency across neighborhoods and cities in the United States," it said.
A study by economists initially released in 2023 found immigrants are 60% less likely to be incarcerated than people born in the U.S. Immigrants have been imprisoned at lower rates for 150 years, the study found, adding to past research undermining Trump's claims.
But Trump seemed to have little interest in a policy debate in his unusually lengthy social media post, which the White House, on its own rapid response social media account, called "one of the most important messages ever released by President Trump."
Trump claimed immigrants from Somalia are "completely taking over the once great State of Minnesota" as he used a dated slur for intellectually disabled people to demean that state's governor, Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee last year, calling him "seriously retarded."
Trump has ramped up his rhetoric since the shooting. On Wednesday night, Trump called for the reinvestigation of all Afghan refugees who had entered under the Biden administration.
On Thursday, the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Joseph Edlow, said the agency would take additional steps to screen people from 19 "high-risk" countries "to the maximum degree possible."
Edlow didn't name the countries. But in June, the administration banned travel to the U.S. by citizens of 12 countries and restricted access from seven others, citing national security concerns.
Copyright 2025 NPR
An engagement photo of Kris Edwards and his wife, Tilly, who was killed by a hit-and-run driver in June.
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American roads have become more dangerous than violent crimes in some cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco and Houston are among the major cities that now report more traffic fatalities than homicides. Despite local, state, and federal safety campaigns, such as the global Vision Zero initiative to eliminate traffic fatalities, such deaths are up 20% in the U.S. from a decade ago.
The effectiveness of Vision Zero: In January 2017, then-L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti joined 13 other L.A. city leaders in pledging to implement the Vision Zero action plan and eliminate traffic deaths in the city by 2025. Instead, deaths have increased. In 2024, the Los Angeles Police Department reported an estimated 268 homicides and 302 traffic deaths, the second consecutive year that the number of people killed in collisions exceeded the number of homicide victims, according to Crosstown LA, a nonprofit community news outlet.
Why deaths have increased: An audit released in April that was commissioned by the city’s administrative officer found that the level of enthusiasm for the program at City Hall has diminished and that it suffered because of “the pandemic, conflicts of personality, lack of total buy-in for implementation, disagreements over how the program should be administered, and scaling issues.” The report also cited competing interests among city departments and inconsistent investment in the city’s most dangerous traffic corridors.
Kris Edwards waited at home with friends for his wife, Erika “Tilly” Edwards, to go out to dinner, but she never made it back to the house they had purchased only four days earlier. Around 9 p.m. on June 29, a hit-and-run driver killed Tilly as she walked to her car after a fundraiser performance in Hollywood.
“I’ve just got to figure out how to keep living. And the hard part with that is not knowing why,” Edwards said of his wife’s death.
Despite local, state, and federal safety campaigns, such as the global Vision Zero initiative to eliminate traffic fatalities, such deaths are up 20% in the U.S. from a decade ago, from 32,744 in 2014 to an estimated 39,345 in 2024, according to data from the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Although traffic deaths have declined since peaking at 43,230 in 2021, the number of deaths remains higher than a decade ago.
Since the covid-19 pandemic, the Pew Research Center found, Americans’ driving habits have worsened across multiple measures, from reckless driving to drunken driving, which road safety advocates call a public health failure. They say technology could dramatically reduce traffic deaths, but proposals often run up against industry resistance, and the Trump administration is focusing on driverless cars to both innovate and improve public safety.
“Every day, 20 people go out for a walk, and they don’t return home,” said Adam Snider, a spokesperson for the Governors Highway Safety Association, which represents state road safety offices.
American roads have become more dangerous than violent crimes in some cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Houston are among the major cities that now report more traffic fatalities than homicides. In 2024, the Los Angeles Police Department reported an estimated 268 homicides and 302 traffic deaths, the second consecutive year that the number of people killed in collisions exceeded the number of homicide victims, according to Crosstown LA, a nonprofit community news outlet.
Kris Edwards and his cat, Rex, in the garden of the home he bought with his wife, Erika “Tilly” Edwards, only four days before her death.
“Simply put, the United States is in the middle of a road safety emergency,” David Harkey, president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, testified during a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing this summer. Out of 29 high-income countries, America ranks at the bottom in road safety, Harkey said. “This spike is not — I repeat, is not — a global trend. The U.S. is an outlier.”
In January 2017, then-Mayor Eric Garcetti joined 13 other L.A. city leaders in pledging to implement the Vision Zero action plan and eliminate traffic deaths in the city by 2025.
An audit released in April that was commissioned by the city’s administrative officer found that the level of enthusiasm for the program at City Hall has diminished and that it suffered because of “the pandemic, conflicts of personality, lack of total buy-in for implementation, disagreements over how the program should be administered, and scaling issues.” The report also cited competing interests among city departments and inconsistent investment in the city’s most dangerous traffic corridors.
Mayor Karen Bass’ office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A hit-and-run driver killed Tilly Edwards as she walked to her car after a fundraiser performance in Los Angeles’ Hollywood neighborhood in June.
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Last year, California state Sen. Scott Wiener proposed a bill that would have required new cars sold in the state to include “intelligent speed assistance,” software that could prevent vehicles from exceeding the speed limit by more than 10 mph. But the bill was watered down following pushback from the auto industry and opposition from some legislators who called it government overreach. It was ultimately vetoed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said a state mandate would disrupt ongoing federal safety assessments.
Meanwhile, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, an influential automotive lobby, this year sued the federal government over an automatic emergency braking rule adopted during the Biden administration. The lawsuit is pending in federal court while the Department of Transportation completes a review. Even before Donald Trump was sworn in for his second term, the alliance appealed to the president-elect in a letter to support consumer choice.
Under Trump, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is prioritizing the development of autonomous vehicles by proposing sweeping regulatory changes to test and deploy driverless cars. “Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards were written for vehicles with human drivers and need to be updated for autonomous vehicles,” NHTSA Chief Counsel Peter Simshauser said in September in announcing the modernization effort, which includes repealing some safety rules. “Removing these requirements will reduce costs and enhance safety.”
Some Democratic lawmakers, however, have criticized the administration’s repeal of safety rules as misguided since new rules can be implemented without undoing existing safeguards. NHTSA officials did not respond to requests for comment about Democrats’ concerns.
Advocates worry that without continued adoption of road safety regulations for conventional vehicles, factors such as excessive speed and human error will continue to drive fatalities despite the push for driverless cars.
“We need to continue to have strong collaboration from the federal, state, local sectors, public sector, private sector, the everyday public,” Snider, of the Governors Highway Safety Association, said. “We need everyday drivers to get involved.”
Kris Edwards points to photos of his wife, Tilly. Traffic deaths across the U.S. are higher than they were a decade ago.
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It took nearly a month for police to track down the driver of a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen allegedly involved in Tilly’s death. Authorities have charged Davontay Robins with vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, felony hit-and-run driving, and driving with a suspended license due to a previous DUI. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is out on bail.
Kris Edwards now tends to the couple’s backyard garden by himself. Since his wife’s death, he has experienced sleep deprivation, fatigue, and trouble eating, and he relies on a cane to walk. His doctors attribute his ailments to the brain’s response to grief.
“I’m not alone,” he said. “But I am lonely, in this big, empty house without my partner.”
Edwards hopes for justice for his wife, though he said he’s unsure if prosecutors will get a conviction. He wants her death to mean something: safer streets, slower driving, and for pedestrians to be cautious when getting in and out of cars parked on busy streets.
“I want my wife’s death to be a warning to others who get too comfortable and let their guard down even for a moment,” he said. “That moment is all it takes.”
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