January 2017 Archives
Accident victims sue Apple over texting feature
California-based Apple Inc. has been sued by a group of distracted driving accident victims. The class-action lawsuit, which was filed in Los Angeles, accuses the technology leader of acting negligently by not releasing a safety feature that prevents drivers from texting while behind the wheel. The lawsuit claims that Apple developed the safety feature in 2008 and was awarded a patent for it in 2014.
Pedestrian deaths continue to rise
California residents may be surprised to learn that, on average, 13 people die every day around the country just from walking around on local streets. In fact, approximately 4,880 people died in 2014 after being hit by cars. It is argued that poor infrastructure causes pedestrian deaths as streets are designed to allow vehicles to travel fast without offering protection for those walking on foot.
California 7-car crash injures 3
Three people were injured in a chain-reaction crash involving seven vehicles on Highway 1 at Firefighter Road nearby Vandenberg Air Force Base. The accident took place about 6:30 a.m. on Jan. 11. According to authorities, the multi-vehicle wreck began when a Lompoc woman driving a northbound Dodge Magnum on the highway was suddenly unable to control her vehicle and smashed into another northbound vehicle, a Toyota Camry driven by a 35-year-old man.
2 dead in fiery wrong-way accident
A car accident that occurred in California on Jan. 8 left two people dead. Officials stated that the crash occurred when a driver entered the 405 Freeway in Costa Mesa and began traveling in the wrong direction.
NHTSA proposes "driver mode" for phones
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released guidelines to reduce distracted driving in California and across the United States. The agency recommends that cellphone manufacturers create a "driver mode" that blocks many of a phone's distracting functions when someone gets behind the whee of a car or truck.