In part one of this post, we noted the recent finding by a team of researchers led by a UC - San Diego sociologist that even a blood-alcohol content (BAC) of .01 significantly raises the risk of car accidents.In this part of the post, let's look at the implications of...
The fact that drunk driving and drugged driving cause many car accidents is undeniable.As we discussed most recently in our January 3 post, impaired driving can take several different forms. The impairment could be because of alcohol. It could be because of drugs. And...
In most states, an individual must register a 0.08 blood alcohol content in order to be considered legally drunk. Legally drunk is a minimum standard that must be met in order to charge an individual with a criminal drunk driving offense, and even that depends on the...
A person’s mental state is invariably a tricky concept in the law.This is particularly true in the criminal law, where mental illness is potentially a defense to some charges. In civil cases, however, the bar is not as high as in criminal cases. If...
In the first part of this post, we tried to put California’s motorcycle helmet law in national context.We noted, for example, that California is one of 19 states in which helmets are mandatory for all motorcycle riders.In this part of the post, we will look at...
One of the threads in this blog is motorcycle accidents. And so this week, we will devote a two-part post to the issue of motorcycle helmet laws.Such laws are controversial within the motorcycle community. Many motorcyclists believe that bulky helmets negatively...
In the first part of this post, we noted the current fascination among digital early-adopters for so-called wearable technology.As we discussed, access to the data streams when trying to drive a motor vehicle safely would be a double-edged sword. This is because the...
The problem of texting while driving is far from solved. The collision between America’s decades-old car-driven culture and its newfound obsession with portable digital devices is fraught with tension.And when those devices distract drivers, the result far too...
In the first part of this post, heading into New Year's Eve, we discussed law enforcement efforts to deter drunk driving.We noted that these efforts do not only include stepped-up patrols. They also include getting the word out through the media about the costs of a...
