carpool lane ticket california

Santa Ana is one of the state’s 10 largest cities, yet for many, many years it has suffered from the dubious distinction of having the highest pedestrian fatality rate in Southern California. In one case, a 61-year-old man speeding on Broadway struck a crossing guard, causing serious personal injury by breaking both of her legs. The 51-year-old guard was unable to work for months and walked with a cane. The driver was found at fault and received a speeding ticket with a maximum fine of $170. In another case, a two-year-old toddler, was struck by a car in front of her home on Baker Street and suffered scrapes and bruises. The driver was “punished” with a $103 traffic fine. Santa Ana often puts the blame, not on drivers, but pedestrians for these car accidents in California. The city’s police have blamed hundreds of child injuries and deaths on children, including dozens of hit-and-run accidents.

As many as 34 other states call for drivers to be especially vigilant when they foresee pedestrians, children or the elderly heading toward a crosswalk. Anyone who has experienced a Santa Ana pedestrian accident would be well-advised to seek help from a professional Orange County personal injury lawyer. Physically impaired pedestrians and small children should not bear the brunt of responsibility for car accidents. Drivers should be aware of a child’s inattentive, impulsive nature and the impaired awareness and slower reaction times of the elderly or partially disabled.

Unfortunately, when a car strikes someone in a crosswalk, the maximum fines faced by car accident drivers in Santa Ana are often lower than for running a red light, littering, or driving alone in a carpool lane. To bring justice for injured pedestrian accident victims it is often necessary to seek out an experienced California car accident lawyer. Drivers who hit pedestrians while speeding or running a stop sign, pay only “moving violation” fines and no other penalties.

To add “salt to the wound,” more than 50 streets in Santa Ana have seen their speed limits raised since 1987. In fact, California car crash data revealed that some streets had their speed limits raised despite high pedestrian accident rates.

On a one-mile stretch of Warner Avenue, the number of accidents nearly doubled after the city raised the speed limit.
On a portion of 17th Street, three pedestrians suffered injuries in the 17 months before the limit was raised; after the increase, four more people were struck by cars, one of them fatally.
On one stretch of West 1st Street, the city raised the speed limit from 35 to 40 mph. Two people died and two were severely injured in the 17 months before the speed limit was raised. In the subsequent 17 months, two more died and another three suffered severe injuries.

Traffic engineers defend the rules for speed limit increases, which typically set limits at or near the speed used by 85% of drivers on a particular road. They argue that since most cars drive safely on a given street, limits should follow these typical drivers’ behaviors.

The practice of raising the speed limit after injuries and fatalities occur defies logic. It simply flies in the face of common sense, which calls for lowered speeds.

Since their founding in 1978, Bisnar Chase lawyers have represented over four thousand people in auto, motorcycle, truck, pedestrian and other personal injury cases. The law firm has an “AV” rating, the highest level of professional excellence, by Martindale-Hubble. John Bisnar, who is the author of this article, and his partner Brian Chase each have a “10″ Avvo rating, the highest possible. John was named a “Community Hero” by the United Way, while Brian was named a “Trial Lawyer of the Year” in 2004 and one of the 2007 Top 100 Trial Lawyers. More important than all their top ratings and awards are the testimonials their clients bestow on them. Aren’t these the type of guys you want representing you? For more information on Santa Ana Car accident lawyers, visit the Bisnar Chase web site at http://www.bestattorney.com or call 1-800-561-4887.

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