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Riding a motorized bicycle in California takes obeying different laws than on a standard bike. Motorized bicycles are their own class of vehicle, with separate rules and regulations. It is important to learn and obey these laws if you wish to avoid legal trouble such as traffic infractions in San Jose. Following the rules could also help you prevent a serious accident. What Is a Motorized Bicycle? California Vehicle Code (CVC) 406 is the state law for motorized bicycles. This law uses the same language for both motorized bicycles and mopeds. It defines them as vehicles with two or three wheels, either propelled by human energy or electricity and a motor. California differentiates between two types of motorized bicycles and...

Many people presume their state has a dog leash law. Although it is fairly rare for a leash law to be state mandated. Only two states, Michigan and Pennsylvania, have statewide leash laws. Federal laws and local laws generally decide how and when dog owners are responsible for their pets. Leash laws are a matter of public safety. A common practice across the U.S. is to allow one dog bite incident before allowing someone to take legal action against a dog owner. The presumption is their experience of non-incidents with the animal limits their knowledge of a potential incident. California is an exception to these general, nationwide rules, and state leash laws are on the books. If you or a loved...

Traffic collisions are a leading cause of injury and death in San Jose.  While collisions are a fact of life in major metro areas, are there areas in San Jose where drivers are at a higher risk of being involved in an intersection-related accident?  What intersections are the most dangerous? At Henshaw and Henry, we want to make a positive impact on community safety in our city.  So, we worked with data visualization and analysis firm, 1Point21 Interactive to find out. Together, we analyzed five years of California traffic collision data - over two million records in total - and isolated all crashes that occurred at an intersection in San Jose. We found that from 2013 - 2017, there were...

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported more than 3,400 deaths from distracted driving alone in 2016. Every 16 minutes a traffic accident – of any cause – results in a death. As a response, many state governments have enacted distracted driving laws. Most of these laws pertain specifically to cell-phone use. Although the most obvious, cell phones are not the only cause of distracted driving. Driving in California California is home to many people who drive a long distance each day commuting to work. Many Californians are on the road so often that a drive-thru meal is often a second-nature decision. The state, as a whole, ranks fairly well for driving safety, considering population size compared to much...