Costa Mesa auto accident and product injury legal blog

From motor vehicles to bicycles, the risk to pedestrians is high. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported almost 130,000 pedestrian injuries in one year alone where a crash or collision occurred.

While no incident is the same, most people in these accidents sustain injuries that fall into one of three categories. Each of these types has its own long-term complications and can affect your life in vastly different ways.

The annual meeting of the Technology & Maintenance Council took place in Atlanta, and there was a safety systems seminar held by the regional director of Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems. What he had to say may be of interest to truckers and truck fleet owners in California because it addresses a growing trend. Truckers are starting to disable or manipulate the safety tech that has been installed in their vehicles.

Many individuals are getting ideas from YouTube videos. For instance, truckers are disconnecting the in-cab camera by cutting its wires or simply sliding a business card behind it. They are disabling the steering-angle sensor. Individuals unplug speakers and plug them back in before they return to the shop. People are removing the cover of the radar and putting aluminum foil on it to disable the radar. There were cases of truckers pushing the button of the lane departure switch and sticking paper in it.

Most California drivers would probably agree that being distracted behind the wheel is dangerous. However, using electronic devices while driving has become second nature for many people. This has led to many serious collisions across the nation.

Auto insurer Root Insurance recently commissioned a study that is quite revealing when it comes to the number of people who drive while distracted. Almost half of the respondents said that one of their biggest concerns when on the road is distracted driving. However, the same individuals say that they spend about 90 minutes each week using their mobile devices while driving. This includes sending text messages, engaging in social media or even streaming videos while driving.

A recent survey has revealed some disturbing trends among drivers who pass an emergency vehicle. California drivers should know that 71 percent of survey participants admitted to taking photos or videos when they see an emergency vehicle either making a routine traffic stop or responding to an emergency.

Moreover, 16 percent admitted to hitting or nearly hitting the vehicle or a first responder. Thousands of people die every year in distracted driving crashes, and first responders put themselves at a high risk when on active roadways. In 2013, there were 37 deaths attributed to crashes with fire trucks, police cars or ambulances. In the first four months of 2019, 16 emergency responders were struck and killed by vehicles.