Car Accident Laws in the State of California

Car Accident Laws in the State of California

A lot of people don’t know exactly what to do when getting into a car accident in California. All states have their own laws, so here is what California expects you to do when you’re involved in an auto accident.

Car Accident

In California you are required to stop after being involved in an accident. It doesn’t matter if it is just property damage, hitting another car or hitting a person.

If you cannot find the owner of the parked car or the property then you will need to call the Highway Patrol or local police to report the accident. You should also leave a note with your name and contact information.

If you are ticketed by the police for the accident and you’re sure you were not at fault, do you have to sign the ticket? Yes, definitely. Signing is only acknowledging receipt of the ticket. You are not admitting fault. You can fight the ticket in court later. Take photos of the accident damage and speak to your attorney.

If the other driver does not have insurance and he or she is at fault, your insurance company will pay for the damages. They will only pay the amount of your coverage for this situation. So, it is important to review things like uninsured motorist coverage and medical coverage with your insurance agent each year. You don’t want to get injured by an uninsured driver and end up not having enough insurance to get the medical help that you need.

When you are both at fault in the accident, the compensation from the insurance companies is split. They or the court will decide the portion of fault and the insurance companies will pay by percentage.

A1 Performance Auto Repair

Stop by A1 Performance Auto Repair to make sure your safety equipment is in safe working condition. The best way to avoid accidents is to keep your eyes on the road and keep your car in great working condition.

California Dog in Car Law Could Land You in Jail

California Dog in Car Law Could Land You in Jail

The California dog in car law is there to protect animals from suffocating, overheating or freezing to death in a car. In certain circumstances the owner could be fined $500 and jailed up to six months!

California Dog in Car Law

California’s Penal Code 597.7 is what is known as the California dog in car law. This law spells out specifically what will happen to a person that leaves an animal confined in an unattended motor vehicle.

For the first offense, it could be only a $100 fine if the animal didn’t suffer much. The fines go up with multiple violations and the worst outcomes get a person a $500 fine and up to six months in jail.

Most of the people who leave their dog in the car mean no harm. They aren’t aware that the car heats up to an extremely hot temperature very quickly. They return to their vehicle to find someone has smashed the car window and rescued their dying dog.

On a nice 75 degree day, the temperature can rise to 100 degrees within 10 minutes. On a 100 degree day, the temperature inside the car will reach 140 degrees within 15 minutes. You might intend to be inside the store for only 5 minutes, but once you get into a long checkout line and chat with a friend you are gone for 20 minutes – long enough to kill your dog.

The best thing to do is to either take your dog inside the store or to leave your dog at home. Always keep a vest type of dog harness in the car. Most clerks in retail stores will assume your dog is a service dog and won’t bother you about it if there is no food being served. Have a happy and safe travels with your dog by car.

California DMV Written Test

California DMV Written Test

Facing a California DMV written test causes dread for young and old. Whether you face the test as a new driver, after a move from another state or while renewing your license, the test can intimidate. However, with a little time investment, you can quickly get on the road.

Preparing for the California DMV Written Test

Luckily, practice California DMV written tests exist in multiple locations online. Reviewing the California Driver’s Handbook and allowing time for several of the online exams helps tremendously. While online versions of the tests may not relate question-by-question to your real test, it will be a combination of these questions. Correct and review any questions you miss and review associated topics.

Making an appointment for the day of your test can save you long waits. You can schedule your appointment time online and move quickly to the testing area once you arrive. At the DMV, you may request to take the exam in the language of your preference. This often eliminates errors due to slight wording inconsistencies. Once you begin your test, take your time. Read questions carefully. Remember, sample tests may differ slightly. Don’t assume your real test holds identical questions and answers, even on the same subjects. Also, note that only one correct answer exists for each question. Don’t read too much into a question by considering answers other than your initial response.

If you fail to do as well as you expected on the exam, don’t despair. You may take the exam a total of three times before the state requires you to resubmit your application and pay an additional fee.

The California DMV written test may seem overwhelming, or in the very least, a hassle. However, with a little dedicated study, that exam can soon only exist in your rear-view mirror. All of us here at A1 Performance wish you all the luck!

California Driver Handbook Has What You Need to Pass

California Driver Handbook Has What You Need to Pass

The California Driver Handbook has all the answers to all the questions that they will ask you on the written driver’s test. It’ll also tell you all the finer points of driving, so that you can pass the driving portion of the test. You can use the link below to download the 2016 handbook copy to your computer.

California Driver Handbook

Here is the link to the California Driver Handbook pdf file. Click on the link and the handbook will load. If you look on the right side of the page in the upper corner, you’ll see what looks like a little piece of paper that has a down pointing arrow on it. Click on that and it will let you download the handbook to your computer. Once the download is complete, you can open it up on your computer and use it whenever you want to study for the driving test.

Practice Questions

Here are a few practice test questions. Do you think you can answer them correctly?

1. When Do You Have to Have Your Seat Belt On?

A. When driving long distances on the freeway.
B. When driving around town.
C. Whenever you’re in the vehicle.

2. Two cars arrive at a 4 way stop at the same time. Who goes first?

A. The car on your right.
B. The car on your left.
C. You do.
D. Whoever is the fastest to go first.

3. What do you need to look for on the right side of your car before you turn right?

A. Bicyclists
B. Pedestrians
C. Other vehicles
D. All of the above

At A1 Performance Auto Repair we wish you all the luck in passing your driving tests. We hope the California Driver Handbook download link helps you study. Remember to keep your vehicle in tip top driving condition by stopping by for all your car maintenance when it is due.

Answers:
1C
2A
3D

 

California DMV Written Test Practice Questions

California DMV Written Test Practice Questions

The California DMW written test can be quite nerve wracking. There is so much stress involved that it’ll make you question and requestion your answers. Most of the time, your first answer was the correct one. So, here are some sample questions that could be on the test to help you practice.

California DMV Written Test

The following questions are from the California DMV written test. But, there are many tests that they use, so these may or may not be on your test.

1. Which of these things are actually illegal to do while driving?

  • A. Wearing headphones in both ears while driving.
  • B. Adjusting your side mirrors.
  • C. Letting your dog jump around in the back seat.

2. It is OK to drive in the bike lane when:

  • A. There aren’t any bicyclists in the bike lane.
  • B. When you’re going to turn right and are within 200 feet of the corner.
  • C. When you’re passing a driver that’s turning right.

3. You must notify the DMV:

  • A. Within 5 days of selling your car.
  • B. Within 5 days of a smog test fail.
  • C. Within 5 days of getting a new eyeglasses prescription.

4. The traffic is going 70mph and the speed limit is posted as 65mph. How fast should you drive?

  • A. Keep up with the speed of traffic at 70mph.
  • B. Keep within 5mph over the speed limit.
  • C. Drive 65mph.

5. The traffic light is green, but there are cars in the intersection. What should you do?

  • A. Wait until traffic clears before entering the intersection.
  • B. Drive into the intersection and wait until traffic clears.
  • C. Drive into another lane and try to drive around the traffic in the intersection.

A1 Performance Auto Repair

Remember to go with the first answer that pops into your head and you’ll have a better chance of passing your California DMV Written Test the first time you take it. Good luck and remember to stop by A1 Performance to get your car maintenance done on time.

Answers

1. A
2. B
3. A
4. C
5. A

Driving Tips for New Car in the Silicon Valley

Driving Tips for New Car in the Silicon Valley

Congratulations! Here are some driving tips for your new car, so that you can break it in right and ensure its long, problem-free life.

Driving Tips for New Car

Before getting into driving tips for a new car, let’s take a look at the oil. After you drive your new car home, deeply inhaling that awesome new car smell all the way, you’ve probably gone enough miles for step 1. Step 1 is to change the oil at 20 miles or so. Your new car engine is breaking itself in and there are going to be lots of little metals flakes and other debris. It is best to get that out of there. So, on car ownership day #2, change the oil if you have gone 20 miles or more. You’ll want to change it again in about 1,000 miles, then get on the manufacturer’s recommended schedule.

Driving tips for a new car are more like a “what not to do” list. For the first 500 miles, baby your car when driving. Do not rev up the engine, drive it gently with slow starts and stops. It might be very tempting to get out there and see what it can do on the open road, but let the engine break in right first.

It would be a mistake to tow anything during the first 500 miles. You want the engine and transmission to break in first before placing a big burden on it. It would be a good idea to change the transmission fluid after 1000 miles before towing, also. This will remove any new car debris floating around.

Have Your Car Serviced on Time

Congratulations on purchasing your new car. If you give your new car great care from the very beginning, it’ll last a very long time. Stop by A1 Performance Auto Repair to talk to our mechanic about more driving tips for your new car.

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