Costa Mesa auto accident and product injury legal blog

Whether you are a new biker, a motorcycle passenger or a biker visiting the state, you may be wondering if you have to wear a helmet while you ride. You may be the type who does not prefer to use a helmet unless necessary. Some states only require minors to do so, whereas others have requirements for adults, too.

California is in the latter category. Know what the law says before you get on your motorcycle to ensure compliance and safety on the road.

More than 37,000 people died on America's roads in 2017, according to estimates from the U.S. Department of Transportation. While the number is slightly lower than it was in 2016, it represents a 10 percent increase from 2014. Some California residents may think that distractions caused by new technology are to blame for the increase. While the link between the two has not been definitively made by public safety officials, various studies indicate that technology is a major culprit.

Nauto, a provider of smart cameras for fleet vehicles, studied severe collisions that occurred over a four-month period. Researchers discovered that 67 percent of the crashes were caused by distracted driving. Agero, a provider of vehicle safety and roadside assistance systems, found that drivers aged 17 to 22 are especially susceptible to distraction; they use their phones 12 percent of the time that they're behind the wheel.

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance has two brake inspection campaigns planned for this year, and they are aimed exclusively at the drivers of commercial motor vehicles. CMV drivers across California and the rest of the U.S. could benefit from knowing the details, and they will want to make sure their brakes are properly installed and maintained. Functioning brakes will help trucks and buses maintain a reasonable stopping distance and keep other drivers safe.

The two campaigns are part of Operation Airbrake, a program started by the CVSA together with the U.S. DoT's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The first campaign is a one-day brake inspection spree that has been set for an unannounced date, which means truck and bus drivers may be inspected when they least expect it.

People in California who are texting and driving may be endangering themselves and others on the road. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 9 people die daily and around 1,000 are injured in accidents that involve distracted drivers. The five seconds it may take to receive or send a text means looking away from the road for the distance of a football field when a car is traveling at 55 mph. Around one-third of drivers have said they text while driving.

Looking at smoking cessation, increasing seat belt usage and reducing the incidence of drunk driving indicates that education is generally not enough to change behavior. Punishment followed by education tends to be more effective. The Network of Employers for Traffic Safety reports that companies that have rules and enforce them with punishment are safer than those that do not.