Eugene Bruno & Associates
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month
The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), California Highway Patrol (CHP) and more than 200 law enforcement agencies statewide are working together to promote National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April and California Teen Safe Driving Week, which is the first week of April.
Distracted Driving at an All-Time High with Teen Drivers Most at Risk
All drivers – but especially teenagers – should think first and foremost about safety, but cell phones, text messaging and traffic have taken distractions to an all time high. The result is all time high numbers of accidents. All drivers are susceptible to these distractions, but research shows more experienced drivers can control these distractions, but younger, less experienced driver cannot. As a result, younger, less experienced drivers cause more accidents.
Medical Marijuana
A medical marijuana prescription does not shield California drivers from arrest for driving under the influence. For purposes of determining whether a driver is impaired, medical marijuana is treated the same as alcohol. According to Commander Chris Tennant of the Pullman, Washington Police Department who is quoted in a February 17, 2015 USA Today article as saying, “If we suspect that they are intoxicated (with marijuana) and driving, then we handle it like we would alcohol where we put you through field sobriety tests.”
Older Driver Safety Awareness Week
The California Highway Patrol, in partnership with the American Occupation Therapy Association, recognizes this week as Older Driver Safety Awareness Week. To help California’s senior drivers maintain their driving independence for as long as they can safely drive, the CHP offers a 2 hour “Age Well, Drive Smart” program supported by the Keeping Everyone Safe grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety. The program allows senior drivers an opportunity to tune up their driving skills, refresh their knowledge of the rules of the road and learn about normal age-related physical and mental challenges and how to adjust to them.
Halloween is a Scary Night on the Road
Halloween is a night full of fun for trick-or-treaters. Keep an eye out for little ones in costume and pay extra attention to pedestrians, as they may be unaware of their surroundings or have difficulty seeing through costumes and masks. Trick-or-treaters – especially small children – can seem to appear out of nowhere; drive extra cautiously.
Talking to Older Drivers About Safe Driving
Last week a 91 year old driver struck and killed a woman on Girard Ave in La Jolla. The elderly driver was backing out of a parking spot and never saw that she backed into the woman, pinning her between the moving vehicle and a parked car. The woman died on the way to the hospital.
Teen Driving
The fiery crash that killed five teenagers last weekend during a late-night drive from Knott’s Scary Farm was a sad reminder that traffic accidents are the No. 1 killer of American teenagers. Almost 3,000 13- to 19-year-olds die in auto crashes each year in the U.S., according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. More than 400,000 more are injured.
Fewer Uninsured Drivers with Expanded CLCA Coverage
Despite state law that mandates auto insurance for all vehicles, some estimate there are more than 3 million uninsured vehicles in California. However, more low-income Californians will now have the opportunity to purchase affordable automobile insurance. Gov. Jerry Brown recently signed legislation that will expand California’s Low-Cost Automobile Insurance Program (CLCA) to include non-citizen individuals who qualify for California drivers’ licenses next year.
Three Feet Please – New Bike Safety Law in Effect 9/16/14
California’s newest bicycle safety act, called the Three Feet for Safety Act, took effect on Sept. 16, 2014. The law requires that drivers passing a bicycle that is traveling in the same direction maintain at least 3 feet of distance between any part of the vehicle and any part of the bicycle or rider. When 3 feet is not possible, the driver is required to slow to a “reasonable and prudent speed” and pass only if there’s no danger to the bicyclist. Violations can result in a fine, regardless of whether a collision or injury to the bicyclist results.
Telematics: The Future of Car Insurance?
Never heard of telematics? Just wait, you will. Telematics, or usage based insurance, is the newest trend in auto insurance. Telematics will provide your auto insurance company with real time driving information: how fast you drive, how hard you brake, how much you drive, the time of day you do most of your driving, etc. These factors have been shown to be far more predictive of insurance claims rates than the factors generally used by most car insurance companies now. that is gender, age, where you live, the type of car you drive and your credit rating.
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