Los Angeles California Personal Injury Law Blog

The effects of a common medical disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea may contribute to car accidents on California roadways. According to the Mayo Clinic, sleep apnea occurs when muscles supporting certain structures in the throat, such as the uvula, soft palate, tongue and tonsils, relax too much when the patient lies down to sleep. The relaxed muscles can cause these structures to block the airway in the throat, which temporarily prevents the body from breathing for as long as 20 seconds at a time.

In order to clear the obstruction and recompense breathing, the brain causes the body to wake briefly and reopen the airway. While some people with sleep apnea are aware of the sleep interruptions due to symptoms of gasping, choking, snorting or transient shortness of breath upon awakening, many people with sleep apnea do not recall waking up during the night and are not aware of the condition until someone else points it out to them.

People in California who want to find ways to improve their safety on the road might often think about laws that could be created or stronger penalties for those who break those laws. These actions often some means of guiding drivers to the behaviors that are desired and away from the behaviors that are not. There are, however, other avenues to reducing the risk of an accident on the road that may actually be related to caring for one's health.

Diminishing eyesight can be a natural problem for people as they age. Some even develop cataracts, which is a condition in which the lens of the eye becomes clouded, thereby impairing a person's ability to see clearly. Certainly, reduced eye function can make a person more apt to be in an accident as perhaps they do not see an object, a vehicle or a person. They may even have difficulty seeing traffic signs.

If you use your phone while driving in Los Angeles, you are not alone. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, 660,000 motorists use their cellphones at any given moment of the day. Although talking or texting on a cellphone while driving is prohibited in California, it still occurs. It does not stop there, however. Drivers who take selfies while behind the wheel may cause a catastrophic car accident, putting their lives and the lives of others at risk.

There are three forms of distraction, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Manual distractions occur when drivers removed their hands from the steering wheel to engage in a task, while visual distractions involve drivers taking their eyes off the road. Cognitive distractions occur when a driver is no longer concentrating on the road, but on something else. Taking a selfie while driving involves all three distractions. Drivers take their hands off the wheel to get their cellphone ready and positioned perfectly for a photo. They also take their eyes off the road to pose for the picture or to look through prompts. Finally, people cannot fully focus on the road when they are concentrating on taking a selfie and posting it to social media.

Bicyclists who want to enjoy the beautiful California weather should not have to worry about ending up in a hospital due to a serious traffic accident. One of the keys to safe bike riding is to maintain full control of the bicycle and not allow an unexpected problem to suddenly cause a bike riding disaster. Fortunately, you can take simple steps before you mount your bike that can help make your next bike ride safer.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration points out that what you put on can affect your bike ride. Loose pant legs, for instance, can get snagged in bike chains, which is partly why you see many bike riders wearing shorts. If you still prefer to wear long pants, tuck your pant legs into your socks to lessen chain jamming risks. Additionally, your shoelaces might get caught in your bicycle chain if they are not tied up. If you are not confident you can ride with laced shoes, try shoes with Velcro instead.