Eugene Bruno & Associates
Why Are Cell Phone Tickets Down?
According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, traffic citations for “illegally talking on a hand-held cellphone and texting while driving” have dropped 25 % over the past three years, but it’s not because fewer drivers are using their cell phone or texting. More aggressive enforcement is needed to curb distracted driving. April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
Put Down the Phone
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. In 2013, DMV’s California Traffic Safety Survey reported more than 426,000 hand-held cellphone and texting convictions, with more than 57,000 tickets issued in April 2014 alone. That’s a lot of drivers who are not paying attention to the road and who are making the road dangerous for the rest of us. The same study showed in 2014, 61% of California drivers surveyed said they had been in an accident or nearly been in an accident caused by a driver who was talking or texting on a cellphone. That statistic is frightening.
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.
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