Newsom signs San Francisco Mayor Lurie-backed bill toughening sideshow penalties

By Tim Fang

A bill supported by San Francisco lawmakers that toughens penalties for drivers participating in sideshows across California has been signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

On Sunday, the governor’s office announced the signing of Assembly Bill 1588, which was authored by Asm. Catherine Stefani (D-San Francisco) and sponsored by Mayor Daniel Lurie, who partnered with the legislator on the bill earlier this year.

“Sideshows are dangerous, reckless, and can turn deadly in an instant,” Stefani said in a statement. “AB 1588 makes sure people who repeatedly put our communities at risk face real consequences.”

Lurie said, “Crime numbers are down across the city, but numbers don’t mean anything if San Franciscans don’t feel safe, and stopping sideshows will help both.”

The mayor added, “With this new law, we are sending a clear message: Dangerous sideshows have no place in our neighborhoods, and we will use every tool available to stop them.”

Late last year, Lurie signed a bill increasing fines from misdemeanor sideshow offenses in the city from $500 to $1,000.

According to supporters, the measure gives law enforcement additional tools to crack down on drivers who participate in sideshows and increases penalties for repeat offenders. Among the provisions is adding motorbikes and dirt bikes to the sideshow framework, which closes enforcement gaps when unlicensed dirt bikes without plates are used to perform stunts.

The measure also aligns sideshow penalties with those of street racing and makes serious bodily injury caused by a sideshow driver eligible for a felony. Vehicles used in sideshows can also be impounded for an additional 30 days upon conviction.

Along with San Francisco officials, traffic safety advocates, AAA and law enforcement agencies across the state supported AB 1588.