Anaheim Personal Injury Law Blog

Truck drivers in California and around the country are more likely to be pulled over for safety inspections between Sept. 15 and Sept. 21 during the annual Brake Safety Week initiative organized by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance. The safety blitz is part of the ongoing North American Operation Airbrake Program being run by the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in partnership with the CVSA.

Brake Safety Week is important because defective or poorly maintained tractor-trailer braking systems pose a serious threat to road users. Almost half of the out of service orders issued during the 2018 International Roadcheck safety initiative were for braking system problems, and six of the FMCSA's 20 most common truck and bus violations are brake-related.

A report released by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety suggests that California drivers are not as likely to talk on their phones while behind the wheel as they once were. However, they are more likely to be using their phones in other distracting ways. The study compared data gathered during observational surveys in 2014 and 2018. Researchers watched drivers at stoplights or while driving by and noted how many were using their phones. They also gathered information on how the phones were being used.

Researchers found that distracted driving occurred at nearly the same over the two years that were examined. The types of distracted driving changed, however, as fewer motorists were observed talking on their phones and more drivers were observed using their phones to perform other tasks, such as texting or browsing the internet.

For many people, thinking about a spinal cord injury will bring up only the thoughts related to the damage to the spinal cord. Some might not realize that there are many other impacts that this type of injury can have on your life.

Victims can suffer from mental health issues, including depression, when they are dealing with this. They might also have physical secondary conditions that can lead to serious health challenges or even death. It is imperative for anyone who is living with a spinal cord injury understand some of the conditions.

Helmets saved the lives of at least 1,870 motorcyclists around the country in 2017, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that 750 riders who died would have survived if they had been wearing one. Virtually all media articles on motorcycle safety begin by urging riders to purchase a quality helmet and put it on every time they take to the roads, but finding head gear that is both comfortable and robust enough to provide protection in a crash can be difficult for some California riders.

While comfort is important, riders should avoid motorcycle helmets that are marketed as being lightweight and thin. Helmets that provide good protection are at least an inch thick and usually weigh about 3 pounds. Plastic buckles that can break in an accident are another sign of a poorly manufactured helmet. The NHTSA does not test or approve helmets sold in the United States, but it does maintain an online database of helmets that have been recalled due to safety concerns.