Mobility news from the automotive capital of the world – Southern California.
iDriveSoCal
Claim This Podcastby Tom Smith
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26 episodes
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Podcast Overview
Mobility news from the automotive capital of the world – Southern California.
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2/7/2018
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Recent Episodes
January 29, 2021
Distracted Driving: Ultimate Avoidance Guide Keeps All Safe
Distracted driving can be tragic because the accidents it causes are 100% preventable. Want to know how? This distracted driving ultimate avoidance guide demonstrates what distracted driving is and how law enforcement like the California Highway Patrol is working to stop it.<br /> <br /> Too often, when Officer Simone Yarbrough of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) South L.A. office arrives at a crash scene, the driver is already dead. It's worse when he sees a cell phone lying on the floor, still blinking, with a message half-written out.<br /> <br /> “Back in the day, DUI used to be the biggest killer of our drivers on the road,” Yarbrough said. “Well, not any longer. It’s distracted driving.”<br /> <br /> Parents must set the example for their kids.<br /> <br /> <br /> What is Distracted Driving?<br /> According to Yarbrough, our cell phones are a huge part of the problem. But, by no means, are they the only part of the problem.<br /> <br /> "Anything that takes your mind and your eyes off the road is distracted driving," he said. "You can be drinking coffee, putting on makeup, shaving, eating food. People drive and read the newspaper at the same time."<br /> <br /> Even helping a child or adjusting a navigation system can be distracted driving, because it moves the driver's attention away from the road ahead. Yarbrough's given citations for eating in a car. And he's even pulled mothers over to educate them about the dangers of breastfeeding while driving.<br /> Parents Teach Your Kids<br /> When teens are involved in distracted driving incidents, Yarbrough extends some of the blame to the parents. Parents should never touch their cell phones while driving because their children will follow their example. They also need to be aware of where their kids are and who they're with. Many teens who die in crashes are passengers of other teen drivers who were driving while distracted.<br /> <br /> Yarbrough applauds parents who set rules before their children get licensed and then don't let their children break those rules.<br /> Cell Phones Are A Big Part<br /> Cell phone use is one of the biggest causes of distracted driving. That's partly due to social media. People want to take pictures and post them immediately, whether they're driving or not.<br /> <br /> "The bad part is it’s not just kids doing it," Yarbrough said. "It’s not just teens doing it. You see adults doing it driving down the street and you’re like, 'Come on now, if it’s that important to you, pull over and do it.'"<br /> <br /> Yarbrough said if someone uses their phone and causes a crash, it's considered manslaughter or worse. It's expensive, too. The first-time fine for using a cell phone while driving is $200. It goes up from there.<br /> Know the Numbers<br /> Every year, an average of 20,000 drivers in California are involved in crashes due to distracted driving. The United States Department of Transportation listed 2,841 deaths caused by distracted driving in 2018. Of those deaths, 605 were passengers, 400 were pedestrians, and 77 were bicyclists.<br /> <br /> "If you see something and you recognize something, it takes .75 seconds to just see it and recognize it, another .75 seconds to react," Yarbrough said. "That’s already a second and a half, and you haven’t done anything yet. You’ve put your foot on the brake, and it’s almost a whole football field, if you’re traveling at 55 miles an hour, to come to a stop. So whatever stops in front of you at that kind of speed, you’re probably going to hit it."<br /> Ending Distracted Driving<br /> The CHP works hard on education and prevention wherever it can. This includes using a yearlong Adult Distracted Driving grant recently provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The grant money provides for both in-person and virtual training sessions on distracted driving. The CHP plans to conduct several distracted driving enforcement operations, too,
January 20, 2021
Legal Marijuana And DUI: Its Highly Illegal To Drive Impaired
As more people use marijuana in the COVID-era it's important to remember that legal pot still results in DUI if you drive high.<br /> <br /> In 2018 it became legal to buy and sell cannabis in the State of California. But changes to the law brought up questions and concerns about safety, particularly about legal marijuana and DUIs. Driving under the influence of marijuana is as much an issue as an alcohol-related DUI because marijuana use can impair judgment, too.<br /> <br /> "If you’re going to be taking part in using cannabis, do it responsibly," said Sergeant Oscar Chavez of the California Highway Patrol’s Impaired Driving Section. "Don't Drive."<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Before Legalization: Prepping for Legal Marijuana and DUI Training<br /> During 2017, police officers prepared for the legalization of marijuana with 52 hours of training. The training program, called Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE), taught police to detect people driving under the influence of cannabis. ARIDE includes a two-day course in recognizing the signs of sleep deprivation, drug use, and alcohol use.<br /> <br /> Unlike alcohol, there's no breath test for marijuana use. But technologies are evolving, and could soon include mouth swab tests. However, when marijuana was first legalized, blood tests for finding cannabis in a driver's bloodstream were the best bet.<br /> <br /> Chavez said that the training program brings in medical experts to teach police officers about all forms of impaired driving, from sleep deprivation to prescription drugs like Xanax and Vicodin.<br /> Cannabis Use and Car Drivers: Many Variables can Complicate Matters<br /> Alcohol enters the human system through drinking, but weed intake happens in a variety of ways. People can smoke it, eat it, and even rub it on their skin. Differing strains, THC levels, and even the individuality of the drivers can impact the information a police officer has to work with.<br /> <br /> "With cannabis, we have to take into consideration the user," Chavez said. "Are they a long time user, short time user? We have to take into consideration how they ingest it. Is it edible? Are they using a sativa strain? Are they using an Indica strain? Sativa’s going to have some effects on a user, versus an Indica strain, or a hybrid strain, a combiniation of both."<br /> What Happens Behind the Wheel: Legal Marijuana and DUI Arrests<br /> Chavez said when a DUI suspect is pulled over, officers determine whether an arrest is necessary. If the driver is arrested, officers use a Drug Recognition Evaluator (DRE) to figure out what's causing the impairment. The DRE is a process that uses standard roadside impairment tests, as well as in-depth tests.<br /> <br /> The in-depth tests check problems such as pupil size, pulse rate, and blood pressure. The DRE can help rule out alcohol use and zero in on the possibility of driving under the influence of pot or other drugs.<br /> How Much Pot is Legal?<br /> It's legal to purchase 28.5 grams of green, leafy marijuana. This purchase size is about the size of a filled sandwich bag.<br /> <br /> Buyers have to be 21 or older to purchase marijuana. However, if they're caught with more than the legal amount, they're only given an infraction charge, rather than a misdemeanor or felony charge. Infractions only include fines and citations.<br /> <br /> Chavez said the important thing to remember is that the laws and the DUI training for officers are there to keep people safe. Marijuana use is up to the user, but users shouldn't drive while under the influence.<br /> <br /> "Just do it safely," Chavez said. "Don’t get behind the wheel."<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> More safety tips from the CHP --> Distracted Driving
January 14, 2021
Southern California Automotive Museums: World Famous
Move over, Detroit. Southern California is the automotive capital of the United States and the world. And among many other reasons, Southern California deserves this moniker because of its plethora of world-class automotive museums. They range from life-size Hot Wheels collections to Bugatti and Ferrari exhibits and much more.<br /> <br /> <br /> *Please note! Since recording the podcast and originally writing this article. The Mullin Automotive Museum has closed its doors forever.<br /> <br /> iDriveSoCal's (opinionated) contributor Clinton "The Professor" Quan created a list of his top five favorites. But there's more for sure. So you can listen to me and the Professor debate his Top 5. And or continue reading below for even more Southern California Automotive Museums.<br /> Top Five Southern California Automotive Museums<br /> The Marconi Automotive Museum - Tustin<br /> 1. Marconi Automotive Museum in Tustin: Non-Profit Benefiting Kids<br /> The Marconi Automotive Museum is the only car museum in Orange County. It's open Monday through Friday, with some events on the weekends. Besides a yearly open house, this museum hosts fight nights and private events, and it donates profits to children's charities. The car collection includes several Ferraris, as well as other race cars.<br /> <br /> The Automobile Driving Museum - El Segundo<br /> 2. Automobile Driving Museum in El Segundo: A Special Place For Generations<br /> The Automobile Driving Museum is one of the most unique Southern California museums. It was first located in West Los Angeles. It later moved to the South Bay in El Segundo, near LAX, because it outgrew its former location.<br /> <br /> This museum stands out because every Sunday, three different classic cars are brought out of the collection, and car enthusiasts can ride in them. The museum is located in a garage because all of the cars regularly take a turn for those weekend drives. There's a separate building where this museum hosts Hot Wheels weekend events, which includes real life-size versions of Mattel Hot Wheels cars.<br /> <br /> The Petersen Automotive Museum - Los Angeles<br /> 3. Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles: One of the Largest Southern California Automotive Museums<br /> The Petersen Automotive Museum showcases its collection of more than 300 cars in over 60,000 square feet of exhibit space in the heart of Los Angeles. It's one of the largest car museums in the United States. This museum is well known for its events and for its unique exhibits, such as the classic Japanese car collection or its low rider collection. The exhibits change often, so visitors never get bored. This museum is also developing programs to help attract children toward future jobs in the automotive industry.<br /> <br /> The Nethercutt Collection - Sylmar<br /> 4. The Nethercutt Collection in Sylmar: Elegant Cars and More<br /> The Nethercutt Collection is a hidden gem with more than 200 cars on display. This collection has won the Best of Show award at Pebble Beach more often than any other collection.<br /> <br /> All of the cars showcased here are Concours d’Elegance caliber. This museum has two sets of buildings. One allows car fans to take self-guided tours, but the other building requires reservations and guided tours, and it's only open a few days per week. Besides vintage cars, this museum also displays musical instruments and furniture.<br /> <br /> Mullin Automotive Museum - Oxnard<br /> 5. *now closed* Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard: The Professor's Favorite *now closed*<br /> Sadly the Mullin Automotive Museum has closed its doors forever. It was located in Ventura County. Featuring all French cars in its collection.<br /> <br /> The former museum's location previously housed The Vintage Museum. And that was founded by Los Angeles Times publisher Otis Chandler.<br /> Honorable Mentions<br /> Because you cannot leave out a few other Southern Califo...
26 total episodes available
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