Lately, our Southern California weather forecast has had a lot more of the wet stuff in it than we're accustomed to. Those of us who live here don't have the best reputation when it comes to driving in the rain.
In fact, a local electrical and computer engineer recently shared weather data he analyzed, and it shows that no matter what time of day, the number of traffic accidents rises in the rain in the Los Angeles area. Sometimes during the day, the number of accidents nearly doubles.
At some point, every day, we are all pedestrians.
You don't have to be on a mile-long walk to be at risk of an auto-pedestrian accident in Southern California, or anywhere, in fact. Just getting out of your car, shutting the door and taking a single step makes you a pedestrian.
There's nothing more enjoyable than jumping on your motorcycle, hitting the open road and taking in the surroundings. Unfortunately, since you're not the only person on the road, there's always a risk of being part of an accident.
Although you do your best to prevent a motorcycle-vehicle accident, you never know what could happen. For example, a driver may become distracted while driving behind you. Subsequently, they crash into you and your motorcycle at a red light or stop sign.
A woman and her daughter were killed early on New Year's Day when their pickup truck was hit on a Southern California freeway by a BMW being driven by a suspected drunk driver.
Now, the father of the 9-year-old girl is begging drivers to stay off the road if they've had too much to drink.
A 29-year-old man was killed days before Christmas in a four-vehicle crash on Interstate 5 in the Griffith Park area of Los Angeles.
The California Highway Patrol said the chain-reaction crash occurred in the northbound lanes. The driver who stands accused of triggering the multi-car crash now faces hit-and-run charges.
It feels like the whole world stops as you get in a car accident. It's all moving so slowly, almost like a dream, and you can't do anything to prevent it.
Maybe it's another driver running through a stop sign and into your path. Maybe it's another car drifting into your lane as the driver sends a text message. No matter what it looks like, you just feel trapped as you watch the inevitable happen before your eyes.
The light turns green, and you enter the intersection. Then, wham! Your car is hit by another car that must have run the red light.
At least that's what you tell the police officer who is standing by your bed when you wake up in that Southern California hospital, groggy and barely remembering what brought you there.
You've been in an accident with a commercial truck on a busy California boulevard. The driver calls for an ambulance. His boss rings the doorbell seemingly the minute you get home from the hospital, offering to settle.
The number looks pretty good, but you haven't seen the hospital bills yet. You have no idea what kind of physical therapy you'll need. But the boss is nice and convincing and tells you that's the best they can do. You grab the pen to sign the contract to accept the check and be done with it.
California's Three Feet for Safety Act went into effect four years ago, and it was hailed as the way to keep bicyclists safe on the roads. The law required drivers to keep three feet between themselves and bike riders as they passed.
Since the law took effect, though, officers with the Los Angeles Police Department have written only 13 tickets to drivers who have broken the law, according to a recent report. That is 13 citations compared to the more than 1 million traffic tickets written by LAPD officers since the bike law took effect.
California is a beautiful state to tour on a motorcycle. When you decide that you are ready to head out on your adventure, ensure that you are fully ready for the trip. Most bikers know that safety has to remain a priority, so be sure you are thinking about this while you are preparing and on your journey.
One of the most important things you must do to remain safe is to wear your helmet each time you ride. Not only does doing this protect your head and brain, it also ensures you are in compliance with the law. This state has a mandatory helmet law for anyone riding on a motorcycle, regardless of age.
Sullivan & Sullivan have been extremely helpful with processing a recent vehicular incident & related injury for me... they are very familiar with the California courts and local medical systems…
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Manhattan Beach,
CA
90266
Phone:
310-870-0369
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