Futuristic movies where robots replace humans by doing things like driving cars do not seem so futuristic after all. Google, commonly known for their internet search engine, has developed robot cars that would replace human drivers and, researchers hope, human error. Google claims that by switching from human drivers to robot cars, the 2.1 million fatalities caused per year by car accidents could be reduced.
Car accidents can quickly become expensive once you tally up the price you will have to pay to fix your car, the medical bills that you may receive from treatment for injuries caused in the accident and any damage that the accident may have caused to light poles or traffic barriers. San Francisco has added one more charge to the tab, a fee charged for motor vehicle accident cleanup.
A study done by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine found that African-American victims were 1.5 times more likely to die from injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident even though they were 30 percent more likely to be wearing helmets.
A bicyclist was killed yesterday evening, October 7th, in a collision with a Muni bus. The accident occurred at around 5PM at the corner of 6th and Clement in the Richmond district. The Muni bus involved was the 44 O’Shaughnessy. The bicyclist, declared dead at the scene, was described as a white male, age 25 to 30. The SFPD say he has not yet been identified.
According to a recent San Jose Mercury Article, the California Highway Patrol is considering reviewing its police pursuit policy. In the last few months, crash after crash involving the California Highway Patrol has turned public sentiment against the current CHP high speed chase policy. The latest incident occurred this morning, November 4th, when a car fleeing from the CHP in East Oakland collided with another vehicle. The pursuit started on Interstate 580 near 150th Avenue in San Leandro. The fleeing suspect exited the freeway during the chase and the pursuit continued through city streets in East Oakland until the suspect crashed into another vehicle at 106th Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard, killing both drivers.
A driver fleeing police caused a head-on crash in the Webster-Posey Tube in Alameda early Tuesday morning, seriously injuring one person and blocking traffic for more than seven hours. According to Alameda police, the suspect was fleeing from a routine traffic stop when he entered the tube in the wrong direction, causing the head-on collision. The police have not released the name of the injured driver or of the suspect, who was apprehended fleeing from his car following the accident.
Californians are about to have a new cost added to their embrace of car loving lifestyles: a “first responder/accident responder” fee that would charge motorists responsible for car accidents the cost to the Fire Department for cleaning up the wreckage. San Francisco is the first major city in California to pass such a fee, and the SFFD expects to begin collecting on it within the next week. The fee would charge motorists up to $500 for cleanup associated with a crash and is expected to raise up to $626,000 a year. Meanwhile, other cities around the state including Sacramento, Modesto, and Fresno are all considering passing similar fees.
The American Motorcyclist Association has protected the rights of motorcyclists since 1924. The AMA promotes keeping the motorcycle lifestyle alive by protecting its members, providing group ride opportunities and sanctioning many competitive events. The motorcycle rights organization is often involved in government decisions to protect the future of the lifestyle, the image of AMA members and the safety of the riders. The group has even developed model legislation for laws that help reduce the number of motorcycle accidents.
A new bill signed into law by Gov. Schwarzenegger last week and taking effect January 1st will permit Californians to share their personal cars in carsharing pools without risking the loss of their personal auto insurance coverage. The new law aims to make clear that personal vehicle sharing does not constitute a commercial use of the vehicle. The law also aims to make sure that the individual car owner is not held liable for losses that arise when the vehicle is used for personal vehicle sharing.
A local California police officer was critically injured while on duty last Thursday afternoon. The officer was riding his motorcycle down Redondo Beach Boulevard at 7:10 a.m. when the driver of a silver Chevrolet Astrovan entered the intersection in front of him. The officer’s motorcycle collided with the right passenger side of the vehicle, shattering glass and throwing him 30 feet into the air.