How much do parents influence their teen driver’s safety?
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, states that have adopted Graduated Drivers Licensing programs (GDL) have seen accident rates drop anywhere from 10 to 30 percent among... Read More
11 Common Christmas Holiday Injuries & Accidents (and how to avoid them)
Each year, the holiday season brings excitement about seeing family, eating delicious meals, and even opening a few presents. For some, the season marks a series of events complete... Read More
Should Bay Area carpool lanes be enforced 24/7?
Carpool lanes are an essential part of the Bay Area’s transportation infrastructure, designed to encourage carpooling, reduce traffic congestion, and improve air quality. As the population continues to grow... Read More
What is uninsured motorist coverage [UM/UIM]?
If you live in California and you are involved in a car accident, the driver who caused the accident is responsible for paying for it. However, drivers rarely pay... Read More
Safest Cars for Teenage Drivers in 2022
There are so many safety factors to consider when your teenager begins driving. When it comes to teen brain development, distracted driving, and graduated license laws, parents have a... Read More
Here Are The Top Causes of Distracted Driving
These 15 Driving Distractions Could Ruin Your Day. Wouldn’t it be nice to settle in to your morning commute in total relaxation, catching up with a friend in the... Read More
Here are the Scariest Roads in California
What comes to mind when you think of traffic laws? There are right-of-way rules that say who yields and who proceeds at traffic intersections and crosswalks. And speed limits.... Read More
California Minimum Auto Insurance Requirements
When an accident occurs in California, whether an automobile accident or an accident such as a slip and fall on someone else’s property, the way that injuries are almost... Read More
Who is responsible for self driving car accidents?
It is clear that the object of romantic interest in the Beatles’ song never anticipated a self-driving (“autonomous”) car; but as that technology gets closer to becoming a commercial... Read More
Oakland’s Pedestrian Signals Remain Confusing and Unpredictable
In 2015, Oakland enacted a Pedestrian Signal Policy intended to fix its frustrating and nonsensical crosswalk signals, a hindrance to the City’s walkability. The City previously installed hundreds of... Read More
Smartphone Use While Driving: The Next Frontier in California Punitive Damages Law?
It is hard to think of any public safety issue that has received more attention over the last few years than the use of smartphones while driving... Read More
GIG Carshare Offers New Mobility Option to East Bay
Oakland and Berkeley residents have an exciting new mobility option after the launch of GIG, a one-way car share service by AAA and Ridecell. Read More
If I’m in an accident, does it affect my health insurance coverage?
Were you injured recently in a car crash or another accident in Northern California? You might be asking yourself: who will pay for my medical bills, and will using... Read More
San Jose bicycling is more dangerous than we thought
The latest annual report on motor vehicle collisions from the California Highway Patrol has a ton of information about what’s happening on California roads and highways, with extensive datasets... Read More
Key collision factors in San Jose are getting worse
Last week, we looked at the number of motor vehicle injuries occurring in the San Jose area and concluded that traffic safety around GJEL’s San Jose office is getting... Read More
Avoid these San Jose intersections on St. Patrick’s Day
Whether driving or riding in a passenger seat, there’s no way to guarantee your safety in a car, on any day of the year. But you can educate yourself... Read More
Introducing San Jose by the Numbers, a GJEL traffic safety series
Through nearly 40 years of representing accident victims and families, GJEL has shown that many injuries suffered on the roads are preventable. Our efforts to improve traffic safety extend... Read More
The complicated story behind widening Highway 1 in Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz County is in the midst of a debate over how to relieve gridlock along Highway 1. Traffic congestion has continued to worsen in recent years along the... Read More
Should self-driving cars still have steering wheels and brake pedals?
Earlier this week, GM CEO Mary Barra said she believes self-driving vehicles should continue to include steering wheels, brake pedals and accelerators as the technology develops. The state of... Read More
Seeking punitive damages in California drunk driving accident cases
In motor vehicle personal injury or wrongful death cases where the responsible driver was allegedly intoxicated, the injured plaintiff may want to consider seeking an award of punitive (or... Read More
Tragedy strikes horrific Page Mill-280 Interchange near Palo Alto
On Tuesday morning, Jeffrey Donnelly of Palo Alto was tragically killed while riding a bicycle on Page Mill Road near I-280. Riding along a popular recreational cycling route, Donnelly... Read More
The I-80 Smart Corridor’s dumb approach to San Pablo Avenue
If you’ve recently traveled along I-80 in the East Bay, you may have noticed new electronic signage and metering lights. Caltrans is currently putting the finishing touches on the... Read More
What is a protected intersection?
As protected bike lanes become more common across the U.S., the way in which we design intersections is also evolving. American cities are on the cusp of implementing the... Read More
Signal timing: a critical element of safe, livable streets
For the vast majority of people, signal timing is not an exciting subject. Apart from traffic engineers and a select group of superwonks, few people pay attention to or... Read More
Don’t Drive Drowsy: Tips to Avoid Driving While Fatigued
When it comes to making poor decisions behind the wheel, drunk driving and distracted driving get the bulk of the attention, but numbers show drivers impaired by fatigue account... Read More
What can employers do to prevent distracted driving?
In the six states where texting and driving is still legal, employers are being placed in the unenviable position of having to discourage those driving on their behalf from... Read More