Several new laws for California drivers have gone into effect as of January 1, 2016, including:
Reporting accidents — anyone involved in a traffic accident resulting in property damage of at least $1,000 must report the incident to the California Department of Motor Vehicles by filing an SR-1 form.
Earbud use — Vehicle drivers and bicyclists are prohibited from wearing headsets or ear buds that cover or are inserted in both ears.
DUI pilot program — A pilot program in Alameda, Los Angeles, Sacramento and Tulare counties that requires anyone convicted of driving under the influence to install an Ignition Interlock Device (IID) in their vehicles has been extended for one year.
Slow drivers — The law that requires slow drivers to pull over safely and allow traffic to pass now applies to bicyclists as well as drivers of motor vehicles. Bicyclists must pull over as soon as it is safe to do so if traffic has backed up by five or more vehicles.
Child safety seats — Children under the age of two must be secured in a rear-facing child safety seat unless the child weighs more than 40 lbs. or is more than 40 inches tall. Previous law made these requirements applicable to children under the age of one.
Yellow Alerts — Law enforcement agencies may now use Yellow Alerts if anyone is killed or seriously injured in a hit-and-run incident. This law allows the California Highway Patrol to use digital message boards to disseminate suspect vehicle identification information in hit-and-run incidents when requested by local law enforcement.
If you or a loved one is involved in an accident that causes death or serious injury, call the Orange County personal injury attorneys at Callahan & Blaine, California’s Premier Litigation Firm. We are one of the leading catastrophic Orange County personal injury law firms. In fact, in the last five years alone our lawyers have obtained over $1.5 billion in verdicts and settlements, including a record breaking $50 Million settlement against the City of Dana Point, which has been certified as the largest personal injury settlement in the history of the United States.
Callahan & Blaine also has numerous other record-breaking verdicts and settlement in Orange County, including the largest jury verdict in the history of Orange County ($934 Million), the largest class action settlement ($38 Million), the largest insurance bad faith judgment ($58 Million) and the largest employment law settlement ($38 Million). Callahan & Blaine also has recent personal injury settlements of $28 Million for a driver who was hit by a runaway truck wheel on the freeway, $17 Million for a bicycle accident on Pacific Coast Highway, $7.25 Million for a bus accident, $7 Million for a bicyclist who was struck by a delivery truck, and $6 Million for a bicyclist struck by an airport shuttle bus.
If you or someone you know has suffered a catastrophic injury or died as the result of an accident, please contact our Orange County law firm for expert legal counsel.