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What happens when you have a nice Audi and get into a fender-bender with another car. Not much damage, just a crunched grille and bumper, and some broken headlights. No worries, right? Not quite—that could cost over $15,000 and take three weeks in the shop to repair. Continue Reading →
It’s been said for years now, since the mobile phone was invented, that using handheld devices while driving is dangerous. We’ve also seen studies that show distracted driving in general is dangerous; distracted driving can include children, GPS devices, onboard technology, and eating. Continue Reading →
Medical cannabis has become much more popular, and legal in several states across the nation, although still illegal under federal law. It can be very helpful for people with chronic pain, yet is it safe on the roads?
More than 50 percent of people who take medical cannabis for chronic pain said they’ve driven within two hours of using it and at least one time in the last six months. This is according to a new study by the University of Michigan Addiction Center report in the journal Drug & Alcohol Dependence. And one in five of them said they’d driven while “very high” in the past six months. Continue Reading →
Ever since the invention of the car (and perhaps before that, even with a horse and buggy), there has been an argument over (and jokes about) who are better drivers: men or women.
Perhaps it’s safe to say that in today’s world, with all of the distracted driving, there isn’t much difference between the two. But legally in California, insurance companies are now no longer allowed to make a distinction. Continue Reading →
You might see your teen as this age, but they are grown up and ready to drive.
Let’s all remember back to the time that we got that first set of keys. After all the driver’s ed, all the practice, and the terrifying DMV testing, we finally got to drive on our own! It is an exciting time, even for teens these days. (When I got my license, there was no Instagram to post a pic of my car on…different times!)
But now we’re parents, and those babies of ours have suddenly transformed into young adults with their very own driver’s licenses. But what keys should we be handing them? How about keys to a car that could save their life in an accident? Yes, that’s what every parent wants. Continue Reading →
We all know that car alarms are at best annoying and at worst, useless. Who pays attention anymore?
But which car you own may make the difference between it being stolen or safe, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, or the NICB. They released their annual Hot Wheels report, which is not about those little cars you step on in the night when your son leaves them on the floor, but identifies the most stolen vehicles in the United States based on vehicle theft data acquired from the National Crime Information Center (NCIC). Continue Reading →
Here in Southern California, we know how just one car crash, even a fender bender, can make our freeways a total mess, rush hour or not. And if it is, sadly, a crash with multiple cars and injuries, the time it takes to obtain evidence and clear it becomes exponentially longer.
But what if a drone, like the one your annoying neighbor keeps playing with, could help? A growing number of police agencies throughout the country are starting to rely on drones to take aerial photographs that will help investigators with the crash, and allow them to clear the scene more quickly. The sheriff’s office in Tazewell County, Illinios used this drone technology to help them investigate a multi-vehicle crash that killed an elderly woman in July. Continue Reading →
Earlier this month, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety published a paper titled “Reality Check” after testing five of the electronic driver assist programs for Tesla, Mercedes, BMW and Volvo, both on a track and on public roads.
The result? “Cars and trucks with electronic driver assist systems may not see stopped vehicles and could even steer you into a crash if you’re not paying attention,” writes The Associated Press in an article on the Insurance Business website. Continue Reading →
If you think teaching your teen to drive is a harrowing experience, wait until you hand them the keys for their first solo drive. Then their first night out. Has your blood pressure gone up yet?
First of all, you’re not alone. Most parents go through this anxiety, and rightfully so. Sadly, a study by the National Institutes of Health shows that teenage drivers who have had their license for three months or less are eight times more likely to be involved in a collision or near miss. Strangely enough, that stat is compared to the three previous months with the learner’s permit—it must be the supervision in the car that makes them less likely to take risks. Continue Reading →
Photo by Marlon Lara on Unsplash
A recent study published in the Journal of Pediatrics found that about 50 percent of parents hold conversations on their cellphones while driving with their children between the ages of 4 and 10 are in the car. The study, written by a team of researchers from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, found that one in three parents are reading text messages, and one in seven are using social media while in the same situation as described above. Continue Reading →
