Los Angeles California Personal Injury Law Blog

If you feel as if the city of Los Angeles and the entire state of California are constantly under construction, you are not alone. New roadways and communities are rising every day, and with all this new infrastructure comes a need for construction teams who can build and maintain it. Unfortunately, though, these road construction zones present substantial hazards for motorists, and the dangers associated with driving through them are considerable.

Furthermore, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration, work zone crashes are on the rise across the nation, with the number of construction zone car crashes skyrocketing more than 40 percent between 2013 and 2015. Just what is it about construction zones that make them so hazardous for motorists?

At Pheffer Law in California, we represent many clients who have suffered serious injuries in car crashes. Often they tell us that the driver of the car that caused the accident was driving distracted, usually using his or her cellphone in some manner.

The National Safety Council reports that around 100 people die in a car crash every day, and distractions remain a a top factor in these fatal car crashes. With respect to cellphones, however, many people believe that if they use a hands-free device to make and receive calls and texts while driving, these activities will not distract them. Unfortunately, such is not the case. The NSC reminds you that your cellphone conversation or text itself represents the distraction.

Residents in California often see semi-trucks or other large commercial vehicles on area roads and highways. These vehicles are an important means of delivering goods to stores and to consumers. However, many truck drivers often work long hours and must find ways to avoid getting fatigued when behind the wheel. This safety issue is one that is at the heart of some rules created by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

The FMCSA has regulations in place that limit the number of hours a trucker may work and drive in a given day and in a given work week. One of the ways that the agency monitors this is through the capture of data from electronic logging devices, or ELDs. It is now required that any truck driver who must provide Hours of Service records to the FMCSA must also operate a vehicle equipped with an ELD.

Your cure for trying to stay awake while driving does not work. Studies have been conclusive that opening your windows to get a little breeze on your face or turning up the radio is not an effective way to keep you awake when extremely tired or fatigued while driving.

Driving drowsy is simply dangerous. It can take the same amount of attention off the road as if you were distracted by your phone or cause the same amount of delay in your reaction time as if you are near the legal limit of blood alcohol content. However, driving while sleepy continues to be a problem and nearly a third of people in a survey said they had recently drove when they were so tired they could barely keep their eyes open.