Driver’s tests required by the California Department of Motor Vehicles ensure that an individual is ready to drive. It isn’t by chance that if you fail the test, you are probably not yet ready to navigate our roadways. But despite this so-called common knowledge, some teens that don’t pass their driver’s test still get behind the wheel – it’s completely dangerous and can result undoubtedly in a car accident, pedestrian injury or even fatality.

One teen is learning that reality as she copes with a recent car accident in Rolando, San Diego – a neighborhood just slightly north of El Cajon – after she accidentally lost control over her vehicle, hitting a mother and two children.

The teen, needless to say, is distraught over the accident according to reports at NBC 7 San Diego.

Authorities say Shanisha Smith, 18, an unlicensed teen driver, was reaching for a coffee cup that fell into the foot area of the driver’s seat, ending up beneath the foot pedals of the vehicle. This nightmarish situation resulted in a pedestrian accident as the teen’s BMW careened into a sidewalk, hitting several people including a mother and two children.

Fortunately, there were no fatalities. As for injuries, one of the children – a 6-year-old female – sustained a fractured femur and was treated at a local hospital.

The teen’s uncle spoke to San Diego’s NBC 7.

“She can’t sleep this morning. She was having chest pains. She’s saddened. She’s terribly saddened,” Brian Ritchy, Smith’s uncle, told the news source.

There’s no doubt that an accident like this can truly change the teen’s perspective on safe driving.

“She’s not the bubbly little girl we know. She’s just sitting there, tearing up. She’s more scared than anything,” Ritchey said.“She feels sorry for them and wants to do something for them. At least buy them a new stroller,” he added.

Smith cooperated with officials and was cited for driving without a license.

According to Ritchey on behalf of NBC 7, “Smith didn’t take her driving test seriously, and failed the exam not once but two or three times before the accident.”

The DMV Driver’s Test: Info You Need to Know

Passing the DMV driver’s test is no easy feat – but you MUST pass the test before you can drive. And even then, if you are a young driver, it’s important to stay prudent and continue to drive slowly and safely, especially in the first few years with your license.

The DMV wants you to pass your test. It is their goal to ensure all drivers are properly licensed before getting behind the wheel through driver competency.

Here are some ideas for preparing for your driver’s test – and not only for your test, but as you continue to drive. It’s also what the DMV will look for when you’re ready to take your driver’s test.

Practice with a parent or guardian. One of the main reasons people fail their test is because they haven’t practiced enough. Always practice with another licensed adult or guardian. Remember, you must complete at least 50 hours of behind-the-wheel training with at least 10 hours of night driving before taking the test. It doesn’t hurt to practice even more if you can. Take practice tests with your adult supervisor. This will give you some idea of how the real test will go when you’re ready to take it.

Steer and accelerate smoothly. Practice the fine art of the accelerator pedal and the steering wheel. Drive slowly, and practice turning gently with the supervision of an adult at all times. Avoid jerking the vehicle around if at all possible. Keep fine-tuning your skills until the car ride is smooth and error-free.

Drive the posted speed limits. Don’t even think about going any faster than the posted speed limit. Your adult supervisor will ensure that you are driving at a safe speed. Don’t drive “with the flow of traffic.”

Defensive driving skills. One of the best skills to master while behind the wheel is being a defensive driver. Look ahead, scan the road, and be cognizant of other drivers. Check your mirrors frequently and always use your signals to indicate a turn or lane change.

For more information on the California DMV driver’s test, click here.

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About Michael Pines

Michael Pines is a former insurance company attorney who specializes in car accident injury. While he was an insurance attorney, he learned from behind the scenes on how insurance companies work and how they decided to pay injured people. Now that he works against insurance companies, Michael's inside knowledge has resulted in significant benefits to his clients injured in car accidents.

A head-on collision just outside of Valley Center in North County has claimed the life of one driver while seriously injuring four others.

According to reports at the San Diego’s FOX6, the car accident occurred on a two-lane stretch of Valley Center Road as a 1996 Toyota Camry headed southbound near Vesper Road crossed double yellow lines and crashed into a 2007 Chrysler minivan.

The head-on car accident killed the driver in the Camry. The family in the minivan sustained personal injury according to reports at the California Highway Patrol, requiring serious medical attention. The 38-year-old male driver of the van and his wife, 40, were airlifted to Palomar Hospital. The couple’s twin sons who were passengers in the back seat were taken to Rady Children’s Hospital.

No word on their current condition.

The aerial view of the head-on accident showed a mangled scene of wrecked vehicles with shrapnel covering both lanes of the highway and the California Highway Patrol shut down traffic to investigate the accident.

Authorities say the collision was not a likely result of drugs or alcohol.

FATAL CAR ACCIDENTS: SAN DIEGO ACCIDENT STATISTICS

The unfortunate reality is that car accidents in San Diego occur on a daily basis. When it comes to statistics of collisions in our city, according to City-Data.com:

• 73 accidents were fatal in 2009, and 117 vehicles were involved in these collisions
• 28 drunken drivers caused these fatal car accidents in 2009
• 26 pedestrians were fatalities in 2009

Here’s what you can do to stay safe while driving in San Diego. Reduce your risk of a head-on collision by:

Always wearing your seatbelt. Studies show that wearing your seatbelt can reduce your chances of fatality and personal injury when involved in a car accident.

Preplan your evening of festivities. Don’t even think about getting behind the wheel while intoxicated. The best way to prevent drunken driving is by preplanning ahead. Buy your taxi ride ahead of time or designate a driver prior to drinking.

Use crosswalks and designated walkways. Do not cross the street (“J-walk”) when you can stay safe and better protected by the use of a crosswalk. Never cross a freeway or other highway. Find an alternate route. When biking, always use the designate bike lane, or ride with traffic. Always wear a helmet!

WRONGFUL DEATH: WHAT IT MEANS

Wrongful death occurs when a loved one has died due to someone else’s negligence including car accidents. If your family member has died and you suspect it was someone else’s fault, call the Law Offices of Michael Pines, APC at 1-800-655-6585 for a FREE consultation. You may be entitled to legal compensation. Our consultation is completely free. Call us today.

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About Michael Pines

Michael Pines is a former insurance company attorney who specializes in car accident injury. While he was an insurance attorney, he learned from behind the scenes on how insurance companies work and how they decided to pay injured people. Now that he works against insurance companies, Michael's inside knowledge has resulted in significant benefits to his clients injured in car accidents.

Head-on car accidents are one of the worst kinds of collisions since they can lead to severe injury and even wrongful death. A recent wrong way driving car accident in San Marcos reminds all San Diegans that wrong way driving is devastating for everyone involved. Not only that – they are catastrophic and often fatal.

Reports at San Diego Union-Tribune say that Lupe Vargas, 38, was tragically killed when a wrong-way driver collided with her vehicle on Route 78 in San Marcos. According to authorities, the other driver, Yi Liu, was committing suicide – she also died in the accident.

“She never had an easy life since she was divorced and she was taking care of three kids,” said her brother Tony Vargas in a statement at the U-T. “I have no words.”

Vargas was a newspaper delivery person for the San Diego Union-Tribune. She held two jobs and worked 16 hours a day to make ends meet for her children ages 5, 8 and 17.

Her family is coping to understand recent events that led to Vargas’ death including medical examiner reports that say Liu was likely suicidal when the accident occurred.

“I know that at some point her family didn’t have anything to do with it,” Tony Vargas said. “At the end, they’re responsible all the way because they had to be taking care of somebody like that.”

A memorial fund has been established to take care of the three children Vargas leaves behind. If you would like to make a donation, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports the following information where donations can be sent.

California Coast Credit Union

PO Box 502080

San Diego, CA 92150-2080

Account # 914826

Checks should be made payable to ‘Rick Conahan’ – memo: Guadalupe Fund

HEAD ON COLLISIONS: WHAT DO STATISTICS TELL US?

We know that head-on collisions are one of the worst types of car accidents due to the high risk of personal injury or death. Traffic statistics tell us that head-on crashes account for 2 percent of all collisions in the United States (2005).

While traffic signs and warnings work to deter wrong way traffic accidents, it goes without saying that wrong way collisions nonetheless occur, whether by mistake, intention, or drinking and driving. When an accident does occur, the stakes are high, leading to a great degree of injuries and often fatalities.

WRONG WAY DRIVING INJURY

If you’ve been injured in a car accident by a wrong way driver, or if your family is coping with a wrongful death arising out of a wrong way driving accident, you may be entitled to legal rights and benefits. For more information on your case and to find out how the law can help you, call us for a FREE consultation at 1-800-655-6585.

For more info on our firm and the lawyers that can help you, click on our About Us page.

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About Michael Pines

Michael Pines is a former insurance company attorney who specializes in car accident injury. While he was an insurance attorney, he learned from behind the scenes on how insurance companies work and how they decided to pay injured people. Now that he works against insurance companies, Michael's inside knowledge has resulted in significant benefits to his clients injured in car accidents.

Some of the most devastating kinds of accidents are the ones that involve children. That’s because their lives are innocent, so when a needless collision occurs, it makes the situation even harder for all the families involved. And when more than one child is affected, the emotional stakes get even higher.

In a case out of Chula Vista, San Diegans everywhere are reminded of the devastating effects of alcohol behind the wheel. Arlene Anne Hernandez, 22, pleaded guilty to a drunken driving accident that claimed the life of her 5-year-old child and her school friend of same age after her vehicle careened into the Chula Vista Otay Reservoir last year in August. She stands to face charges of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and another charge for driving under the influence.

Hernandez also admitted to causing great bodily injury to the individuals affected by the DUI car accident in Chula Vista.

She will be sentenced May 31 at the South Bay Courthouse.

According to reports, the young mother lost control over her 2005 Kia Sedona on eastbound Otay Lakes Road after being allegedly under the influence of alcohol. The vehicle overturned and landed on its roof in the reservoir.

Hernandez and her passenger, Eric Figueroa, father to the 5-year-old school friend Guiliana, were able to evade the vehicle, but tragically both girls were trapped inside the car, unable to escape. While the children were both airlifted to Rady Children’s Hospital, medical staff were unable to revive the girls and they were declared dead.

Reports indicate that Figueroa bought a six pack of beer after arranging a “play date” for the girls along with Hernandez. The two finished the alcohol, then drove to another location to take a closer look at skydivers in the area – and that’s when the tragic accident occurred.

The La Mesa-Mount Helix Patch reports that “Hernandez’s blood-alcohol level was measured at 0.13 percent after the crash.”

This isn’t Hernandez first run in with the law. According to reports, she had previous charges of a hit-and-run car accident where two people were injured. Those charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

ALCOHOL & DRIVING – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

It goes without saying that driving under the influence of alcohol or any other kind of drug is dangerous, irresponsible and against the law. When individuals erroneously believe a few drinks won’t affect their driving, they are – literally – putting their lives and the lives of others in serious dangers.

When it comes to preventing a DUI car accident, here’s what you need to know.

• Alcohol can render different effects depending on what you’ve eaten. You should know that alcohol consumption can absorb differently in the body depending on the types of foods consumed prior to drinking. Eat plenty of protein prior to drinking to balance alcohol absorption in your body.
• The liver will only digest one alcoholic beverage per hour. From the largest man to the most petite woman, the liver can only process one alcoholic beverage per hour – that’s it. Always drink to what your body can physically handle.
• Body weight/type can also influence alcohol absorption. The less you weigh, the more you will be affected by alcohol in your system. Know your limits prior to drinking.
• Gender also plays a role in alcohol absorption. Females of the same body weight will have a greater blood alcohol concentration level (BAC) than a man at the same weight when the same alcohol beverage is consumed.

Injury accidents caused by alcohol are real. They are devastating and needlessly affect innocent lives – a tragedy considering these kinds of accidents can be entirely avoided. Don’t go under the assumption that you can “handle you alcohol.” That type of poor judgment can result in an accident worth regretting for the rest of your life. Play it safe, and don’t drink and drive.

For more safety tips, log onto http://SeriousAccidents.com/blog or find me on Google+, Facebook and Twitter.

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About Michael Pines

Michael Pines is a former insurance company attorney who specializes in car accident injury. While he was an insurance attorney, he learned from behind the scenes on how insurance companies work and how they decided to pay injured people. Now that he works against insurance companies, Michael's inside knowledge has resulted in significant benefits to his clients injured in car accidents.

The California state corrections department lost one of its officers and his canine companion in a tragic car accident last Monday, reminding all San Diegans of the dangers related to driving on rural roadways.

The auto collision occurred in Warner Springs on Route 79 after Sgt. Gill Cortez, 46, lost control of his Crown Victoria, causing the vehicle to careen off the road, rolling over several times before landing on upright on its wheels.

Cortez, an investigative services officer, was a 23-year veteran of California’s state prison force.

According to police reports, the car accident occurred for unknown reasons. He was the lead car of five others in the process of transporting K-9 police dogs to a training center in Julian. Other police officers following the lead car ran to Cortez’ flipped vehicle after witnessing the crash, but he died at a nearby fire station just before he would have been airlifted to a hospital according to the California Highway Patrol. Cortez’ dog Mattie died at the scene of the accident.

CHP said the vehicle was traveling near the posted speed limit off 55 mph.

“All of us at CDCR mourn the tragic death of Officer Gilbert Cortez,” Jeff Beard, secretary of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, said in a statement. “He was a valued member of our department, and his untimely passing in the line of duty is a huge loss to all who worked with him. Our thoughts and prayers are with Gil’s family, friends and colleagues. We are also deeply saddened by the death of Gil’s K-9 partner, Mattie.”

RURAL DRIVING: WHAT YOU CAN DO TO STAY SAFE

Rural roadways like SR-79 in Warner Springs can often prove dangerous in the face of unfamiliarity and rocky surfaces. Because rural roads are less traveled, potentially hazardous conditions can present themselves including dust, rocks, potholes and other debris. If you must use a rural road to get to your destination:

Drive in daylight. Unexpected turns and unseen dangers like rocks or potholes can prove especially hazardous when traveling at night. Drive during daylight hours if at all possible.

Reduce your speed. While it’s generally safe to drive the speed limit, you may want to reasonably reduce your speed on rural routes to allow for more reaction time should an unwanted surprise present itself while driving.

Check tires before heading out. A long drive can be especially wearing on long road trips. Check your vehicle tires before heading out to ensure there aren’t any bald spots, nails or corroded rubber.

Have an emergency plan. If you are stuck on the shoulder or blow a tire, it’s a good idea to have an emergency kit available including road flares, cones and cell service if possible. In case of an emergency, try to pull over safely and never attempt to use your cell phone while driving.

INJURY ACCIDENTS ON RURAL SAN DIEGO ROADS

If you have been injured in an accident on a rural San Diego road, you may be entitled to financial compensation. To understand your legal rights including filing a personal injury claim, call the Law Offices of Michael Pines, APC at 1-800-655-6585 for a FREE consultation.

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About Michael Pines

Michael Pines is a former insurance company attorney who specializes in car accident injury. While he was an insurance attorney, he learned from behind the scenes on how insurance companies work and how they decided to pay injured people. Now that he works against insurance companies, Michael's inside knowledge has resulted in significant benefits to his clients injured in car accidents.