San Francisco Legal Blog

Smaller and lighter cars are becoming more popular in California as drivers try to lower gas expenses. However, according to Forbes, these vehicles can be costly in other ways. Smaller and lighter cars tend to have more medical payments claims than any other category of cars. The main reason for this is easy to guess at. Smaller cars typically sustain greater damage during a car crash, which means that the occupants of the vehicle may suffer greater injuries.

Forbes also points out that the cars alone are not to blame for the higher rates of medical claims. The drivers who choose these cars represent a more vulnerable demographic. The affordability of these cars tends to attracts newer and younger drivers who may be less experienced and sometimes more prone to distractions on the road.

The Los Angeles Times reports that previous plans to obligate mandatory safety features to prevent the unintended acceleration of vehicles are no longer in motion. The change comes after automakers voluntarily installed safety systems, which were implemented because of issues with Toyota accelerators that caused numerous accidents from 2009 to 2012. Automakers claim that all vehicles currently being manufactured have override systems that prevent acceleration if both the brakes and the gas are pressed at the same time. As a result, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has rescinded their previous request for an official requirement for such safety systems. 

The issue began in 2010 amidst claims that some Toyota vehicles had electronic defects that caused accidental acceleration. In other cases, acceleration was blamed on operator error or occurred as a result of gas pedals becoming stuck by floor mats or carpeting. In one incident, four people were killed in San Diego after the gas pedal of a Lexus was trapped by the floor mat. This led to a recall of 2.17 million cars, as well as a $50 million fine assessed to Toyota for not acting swiftly enough. 

According to the NHTSA, in 2017, distracted driving cost 3,166 people their lives. In California, teens were often blamed for this problem, but studies show that parents struggle just as much with setting their phone aside. This is despite the fact that there is more pressure on parents to lead by example. After all, teens are unlikely to listen to their parents when they talk about distracted driving, if the parents are still using the phone while driving.

Forbes also points out that distractions do not just come from smart phones. Sleep deprivation and substance use or abuse are also behind catastrophic motor vehicle accidents. Even so, phone makers are also trying to limit distraction. Both Apple and Google phones have automatic Do Not Disturb functions that block messages while driving.

You have been worrying about your child since the day they were born. Now that they are old enough to drive, you probably start sweating every time you watch them leave the driveway.

In the modern world there are plenty of distractions that make driving dangerous. It is so easy for your teenage child to grab their phone while they are behind the wheel. What can you do to keep them safe?