ca driving laws | Apple Valley Bail Bonds

Published August 12, 2019

School Zone Ahead: Keep an Eye out for Kids

Summer is coming to a close, much to the chagrin of children everywhere. The end of summer means it is time to head back to school for another year. While kids are frustrated by the loss of their freedom, their parents are usually rejoicing. They are no longer in charge of keeping their children safe and entertained. However, back to school does come with a view headaches for parents as well as kids.

Arguably one of the worst parts for parents when it comes to school, is dealing with the traffic. Every day, hundreds of parents are all trying to drop off and pick up their students at the same times every day. This creates a lot of congestion around the school, which creates several headaches for parents.

Tips for Driving through School Zones

Driving through school zones is never a lot of fun for anyone, and aside from just being headache inducing, it can also pose some dangers for the students as well. The last thing anyone wants is for a student, a child, to get hurt on their way to school. That is why everyone driving through a school zone needs to drive carefully, regardless if they are dropping off a student.

In order to ensure that everyone stays safe this school year, here are a few tips for drivers passing through school zones.

• Never text and drive. Texting while driving is very distracting, and several studies have shown that distracted driving is actually more dangerous than drunk driving. This kind of driving should never be done, especially in a school zone.
• Be aware of hotspots. School traffic doesn’t always stick to just school zones. Many students may walk to school and cross roads at certain areas. Recognize these areas and learn to always expect kids there every school day.
• Yield for school buses. If a school bus is flashing red lights and displaying a stop sign, all traffic has to stop, including traffic traveling in the opposite direction. The only time traffic doesn’t have to stop if it is on the opposite side of a divided roadway. Failing to stop can earn a driver a $1,000 fine.
• Expect the unexpected. Kids aren’t always predictable, and don’t always act safely. Drivers should always be on the lookout for kids crossing the street, especially in school zones and around known hotspots.
• Give yourself extra time. There will always be traffic in and around school early in the morning and afternoon. This is unavoidable. Anyone planning on traveling through those areas should give themselves extra time to get through those areas.

As far as keeping kids safe around school traffic, parents should teach their kids the following:

• Crosswalk safety. Teach kids to only cross streets at designated crosswalks. This prevents them from crossing where other drivers would not expect to see pedestrians.
• Wear bike safety equipment. If kids are biking to and from school, they should wear safety equipment. This will keep them safe and protected while biking.
• Practice school bus safety. Teach children not to run out in front of school buses. Even though traffic should stop when children are boarding, not every drivers does. If a child runs out in front of a stopped school bus, they could get hit by a car.
• Avoid blind spots. Teach kids to avoid walking in areas with low visibility, as drivers will be more likely to hit them.

Drive Safely Near Schools

As the end of summer draws nearer, everyone is prepping for the start of a new school years. Students are dreading the loss of their freedom, while parents are mentally preparing to face the school traffic once again. Even drivers without students may end up facing the traffic brought on by the new school year.

When driving through school zones, or other known hotspots, drivers need to keep an eye out for kids who may be crossing the street. After all, no one wants to get into an accident, especially one with kids. Luckily, as long as driver remains alert and cautious, there shouldn’t be any problems.

Are you looking forward to the new school year for your kids, or are you dreading the upcoming surge in traffic?

Published July 2, 2018

Park Here, Not There

The summer season is upon us, which can only mean one thing – an influx of traffic stemming from tourists, family vacations, and gorgeous weather. As you and your family embark on summertime adventures, we want to help ensure your trips are memorable for all the right reasons, and not because of parking violations that result in unwanted fines or tickets.

As you drive around town looking for the perfect, shady, parking spot keep these laws in mind regarding parking at colored curbs.

• White– Stop only long enough to pick up or drop off passengers or mail.
• Green– Park for a limited time. Look for a posted sign next to the green zone for time limits, or locate the time limit painted on the curb.
• Yellow– Stop no longer than the time posted to load or unload passengers or freight.
• Red– No stopping, standing, or parking. (Buses may stop at a red zone marked for buses.)
• Blue– Parking is permitted only for a disabled person or driver of a disabled person who displays a placard or special license plate for disabled persons or disabled veterans.
• Note: Placard abuse results in the loss of special parking privileges. It is also a misdemeanor and punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment in county jail for up to 6 months, or both.

Just when you think you’ve found the perfect spot; make sure it doesn’t fall into one the items below. Here are a few helpful reminders as to where it is illegal to park at any time.*

• Where a “No Parking” sign is posted.
• On a marked or unmarked crosswalk, sidewalk, partially blocking a sidewalk, or in front of a driveway.
• Within 3 feet of a sidewalk ramp for disabled persons or in front of or
on a curb that provides wheelchair access to a sidewalk.
• Within 15 feet of a fire hydrant or a fire station driveway.
• On or within 7½ feet of a railroad track.
• At a red curb.

If it has been a while since you took a driving course, check out the California Driver Handbook. The handbook covers everything you and your family need to know year-round to help ensure you are following proper driving laws, practices and policies.

Make this summer one to remember, stay safe and follow all posted and not posted traffics laws.

*This is not a comprehensive list. Please visit www.dmv.ca.gov for a comprehensive list of places that it is illegal to park in California.

Published May 17, 2018

Too Drunk for What?

We see the slogans all around when we drive down the road. These slogan say things like, “don’t drink and drive”, “drive sober or get pulled over”, and “buzzed driving is drunk driving”. Slogans may seem pointless and repetitive, but there is reason why they are so redundant. In 2017 in California, around the holidays, DUIs increased 22% according to California Highway Patrol (CHP).

DUIs are not just arrests, they also include accidents. According to the California Department of Motorized Vehicles (DMV) in 2013, their most recently released records, 160,388 people were arrested for a DUI. Out of those arrests, 38% of those incidents resulted in alcoholic related DUI fatality.

The DMV provides information in regards to DUIs and shows that the amount of DUIs has doubled in size from 2003 to 2013. If the trend continues, the amount of yearly DUIs would double again by 2018. According to the Department of Justice there were 1.1 million DUI arrests in 2015. This is why there are so many signs.

It may seem simple, don’t drink and drive. However, we still have an issue with DUIs. Some people think that there is a difference between being buzzed and being drunk, this is not the case. Once you consume an alcoholic beverage your body begins to be affected by it. There can be different levels of intoxication. However, once the alcohol starts impairing your movement and cognitive abilities, you are not suitable to operate a vehicle.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t feel drunk, if you have consumed alcohol you can be drunk. The legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) for the US is .08 limits. The legal consequences of getting a DUI can result in several different penalties. If it is a first offense, a person will be fined and directed to take an educational program. If this not your first offense and the DUI is accompanied with an accident, you may be looking at attempted murder. Even if you think that you’re just a little buzzed, the chances of you killing someone is higher while intoxicated. One person is killed every 51 minutes due to drunk driving.

Slogans may be tedious to most of us, however the increase in DUIs and the fact that people still die at the hand of drunk drivers shows the slogans are needed. There is no need to be a drunk driver, especially with all the advances in transportation. We always have access to a safe ride home. If you don’t feel like taking a cab and think you feel fine, think about your loved ones. Think about how you want to go home to them safely, about how you want them to get home safe. It would be horrible if they couldn’t come home because someone refused to acknowledge a “silly” slogan.

Published April 26, 2018

Driving Slow in the Fast Lane: Is It Legal?

Have you ever been driving down the freeway only to get stuck behind a vehicle doing 55 in the fast lane? It can be incredibly frustrating to get slowed down by someone who can’t drive the speed limit and yet insists on being in the left lane. Unfortunately, it is a pretty common occurrence, especially here in California.

Here in California, we have laws that state if a person is driving slower than the flow of traffic, they need to move over to the left lane. Other states, however, have a different approach to the left lane. In many state across the country, a driver is only allowed to use the left lane to pass another vehicle. After they have done this, they are supposed to return to the right lane.

While many states have this law in effect, a lot of them do not have any actual repercussions for breaking this law. The state of Virginia recently changed that. The state legislature signed a bill into law last July that allowed law enforcement officers to issue tickets to any driver caught going slower than the speed of traffic in the left lane.

Each ticket would cost a driver $100. Since the law went into effect in July of 2017, the state has brought in over one million dollars. Aside from bringing in a nice bit of money for the state government, this also proves that driving slow in the fast lane is a real problem. Ask any driver, and they will tell you that this is a real problem.

With California roads and highways becoming more congested each day, and the state struggling to make ends meet financially, enacting a law like this here might be a win-win situation. Right now, drivers should move to the right if they are holding up traffic, though as most people have seen, this doesn’t happen. A law like this might clear up our roadways nicely.

Published April 16, 2018

Why Should You Buckle Up in the Car? It Could Save Your Life

Following the rules can seem lame, or uncool at times. However, rules are in place for a reason, and that reason is usually for our own safety. For example, the seatbelt laws in California are in place to protect us. For some reason, there are people who think it’s uncool to wear a seatbelt. They fail to realize that being dead is more uncool. Seatbelt laws in California are as follows according to the California Department of Motorized Vehicles:

• Vehicles must contain properly functioning seat belts.
• Any operator of a motor vehicle must wear a safety belt at all times.
• All passengers 8 years old and older that are at least 4 feet 9 inches tall or taller, are required to wear a seat belt.
• Children that are 8 years old and younger that are under 4 feet 9 inches tall must use a child safety seat.

Wearing a seatbelt can mean the difference between life and death in most cases. A seatbelt can hold you in your seat, and prevent you from being ejected from the car. We often overlook how much a car crash can affect us, and a seatbelt prevents our momentum from hurting us even more. This is why commercials are so adamant about people buckling up when in a vehicle.

Buckling up seems like a smart, reasonable thing to do, so why don’t we all do it? When we don’t wear a seatbelt while in the car, we are risking our lives. When we choose to not buckle up, we better have a good reason. The most common reason why people don’t buckle up, is because they’re in a hurry. They are running late for an important event, and they need to get going now. They do not take the few extra seconds to fasten their seatbelt before hurrying off. The thing is, that little inconvenience can save their lives.

California Highway Patrol (CHP) wants you be safe. Even though they may seem like bad guys for pulling you over to make sure you buckle up and drive safe, they are simply looking out for you. That is why they have several rules and laws in place for your safety. The laws become even more important when they involve the safety of children. The following is a list of child safety laws from the CHP website:

• Children under 2 years of age shall ride in a rear-facing car seat unless the child weighs 40 or more pounds or is 40 or more inches tall. The child shall be secured in a manner that complies with the height and weight limits specified by the manufacturer of the car seat.
• Children under the age of 8 must be secured in a car seat or booster seat in the back seat.
• Children who are 8 years of age OR have reached 4’9” in height may be secured by a booster seat, but at a minimum must be secured by a safety belt.
• Passengers who are 16 years of age and over are subject to California’s Mandatory Seat Belt law.

It’s simple to take five seconds of your time to buckle up. Wearing a seatbelt is lifesaving, and should be considered cool. If for some reason it’s uncool to your friends, family, or kids, make it cool for them. Explain that you value their life, and want them to buckle up so that they will be around for a long time. Follow the law, and buckle up to save your life.

Published October 23, 2017

DUI Checkpoints on Halloween

Drinking and driving is never a good idea. Unfortunately, thousands of people decide to do so every day, especially around holidays. This includes Halloween. People are out and about partying and having fun when they decide they are not too drunk to drive. They get behind the wheel of a vehicle, and inevitably cause an accident.

This is horrible on any day of the year, but can be infinitely worse on Halloween due to the increase in foot traffic caused by children trick or treating. This is why police officers are so determined to stop drunk drivers on Halloween. One of the best ways that they do this is by setting up DUI checkpoints.

DUI checkpoints help law enforcement officers find drivers who are driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. This is done by setting up the checkpoint on a road that is known to be well traveled by people who have been drinking. The officers will restrict the flow of traffic down to a few lanes, and quickly interview every driver they passes through. They will ask each driver a few questions, and look closely for any signs of intoxication.

If the driver doesn’t show any signs of inebriation, then they will be free to go on their way. However, if the officer suspects that the driver is under the influence of something, the driver will be asked to pullover to the side. The driver will then have to take a field sobriety test, and if they fail that, they can be taken into custody.

While this may slow down traffic, it is all for a good reason. On Halloween, kids are all over the streets as the go on their annual hunt for candy. No one wants to hear a story about a drunk driver killing someone on a normal day. On Halloween, the story could be much worse.

Published March 13, 2017

I was Caught Using my Cell Phone While Driving. Now What?

What we do know is that in California, drivers are prohibited from using their cell phone while they are behind the wheel, with a few exceptions. What we do not know, is what the consequences are if we are caught doing so.

Exceptions
A driver may use their cell phone if they are making an emergency call to an emergency service like the police, the fire department, or their medical soma online provider. A driver may also quickly tap or swipe on their mounted phone if, and only if, it is being used as a GPS. Note that the phone must be mounted to the car where it does not interfere with clear visibility.

Consequences
A first offense for a driver caught using their phone illegally while driving is $20. Additional offenses will be $50. These are baseline figures though. The actual figure will be a few hundred dollars, after assessments are added. Fortunately for the driver, these offenses are infractions only and will not appear on their driving record.

A driver should not be arrested after being pulled over for using their phone while driving. If the situation gets out of hand, the officer may have reason to make an arrest, like for disorderly conduct. In this case, the defendant will have bigger consequences to worry about, such as paying for bail and appearing in court. As far as bail goes, this can be paid with a bail bond from Apple Valley Bail Bonds.