Costa Mesa auto accident and product injury legal blog

Those who use California roads and highways will be subject to new laws that took effect on the first day of 2020. For example, those who ride their bike on a roadway may be able to go straight through an intersection even if they are in a turn lane. This is true if the lane allows a person to either go straight or make a left or right turn.

In another law change, it may be possible for those who obtain a license to collect certain types of animals that are killed in traffic accidents. The pilot program would allow licensed individuals to obtain deer, elk and wild pig meat for the purposes of consuming it. In addition, starting in 2020, passengers will no longer be able to use marijuana while riding in a bus, limo or camper. However, they will still be able to consume alcohol while riding as a passenger in these types of vehicles.

California residents may be interested in learning about a study showing that some of the systems that are designed to make cars safer are actually leading to distracted driving and potentially putting drivers in danger. Popular features like adaptive cruise control may cause drivers to drop their guard while driving.

These technologies were designed to help make people safer. However, they can cause some drivers to put too much trust in the system according to studies released by the AAA Foundation. Part of the problem may stem from the fact that drivers do not thoroughly understand automation systems. They may put too much faith in the systems, believing that the technology can take the place of a human driver.

California drivers should know about the Large Truck Crash Causation Study. This is a 2007 study that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration undertook over the course of 33 months to find out the most common causes of highway accidents, especially those involving large trucks. Error on the trucker's part was behind 44% of crashes between one truck and one passenger vehicle.

The LTCCS reveals three common errors among truckers. Twenty-three percent of truck crashes arose because truckers were speeding. This includes cases where truckers exceeded the speed limit as well as cases where they drove too fast for road, weather or traffic conditions. According to the FMCSA, one should reduce speed by at least a third on wet roads and by at least half on snow-packed roads.

Many people in California work long hours and make long commutes in their cars. However, someone who is struggling to stay awake while driving to or from work would be better off pulling over and taking a nap. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, drowsy drivers cause 6,400 fatal motor vehicle crashes that occur every year in the United States.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recently conducted its Sleep Prioritization Survey and found that 45% of Americans have driven while drowsy. Like drunk driving, drowsy driving can cause impairment and delayed reaction time. Drowsy drivers may nod off in the middle of traffic, drift into the next lane or fail to recognize important road signs. If a driver notices that they are yawning frequently, having trouble keeping their eyes open or forgetting portions of their trip, it could be time to pull over.