The Auto Club

The combination of cold temperatures and the recent winter rains, which in some areas of Southern California produced ice, sleet and snowfall, is causing the emergence of new potholes. Potholes, caused by water working its way into asphalt and cracking it, can damage vehicle suspension components and increase the possibility of costly repairs, said Steve Mazor of the Automobile Club of Southern California's Automotive Research Center.

Mazor recommends the following tips to help protect vehicles - and drivers - against the jarring experience of hitting a pothole in their path.
Maintain proper air pressure in all tires to provide as much cushion as possible between the pothole and the rim of the tire. Consult the vehicle owner's manual or the sticker on the driver's side door jamb, inner glove box or inside of the fuel filler flap for the correct pressure.
Watch for potholes by leaving plenty of space between your vehicle and the one in front of you. Alert drivers have plenty of time to avoid potholes. Before swerving around a pothole, be sure to check surrounding traffic to determine if it's safe to change lanes.
Maintain a safe speed for the weather conditions. If a pothole cannot be avoided, slow down, if possible. Hitting a pothole at high-speed increases the chance of damage to tires, wheels, shocks, struts, springs or suspension components. High speed also increases the chance of losing control of the vehicle, especially if a series of potholes occurs on a curved or uneven roadway.
When driving over more than one pothole, reduce vehicle speed and hold the steering wheel firmly to avoid losing control.
If possible, don't brake when directly over a pothole. Applying the brakes causes the car's weight to shift to the front of the vehicle and can increase damage from the impact.
Beware of water that may be concealing a deep pothole. "Hitting even one severe pothole could alter the alignment of a wheel from suspension damage resulting in uneven tire wear. Uneven and premature tire wear means the tire will need to be replaced sooner than necessary and increase fuel consumption at needless expense," said Mazor.
"A broken shock or strut from hitting a pothole could alter the steering and handling of a vehicle, and create dangers when driving at higher speeds or in tight corners. Broken or damaged suspension components should be remedied immediately," Mazor added. CONTINUED »

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

Location: Thousand Oaks Police Station
2101 East Olsen Road
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360

Date & Time: Thursday, January 29, 2009 at 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. (and quarterly thereafter.)

The Thousand Oaks Police Department will be hosting a program to educate newly licensed and future licensed drivers.

Start Smart is a cooperative effort between the California Highway Patrol, Thousand Oaks Police Department, teenage drivers, and their parents.

The Start Smart Program is designed to help young drivers and their parents/guardians understand the responsibilities and traffic laws associated with driving a motor vehicle. Start Smart will show how a poor choice behind the wheel can change the lives of everyone involved. Our goal is to raise awareness and reduce the number of teen-related injuries and deaths due to collisions.

Interested parents are asked to call Senior Deputy Kelly Roark with the Thousand Oaks Police Department Traffic Bureau at 805-494-8245 for more information and to make a reservation. Space is limited to 25 students and their parents. There is no charge to attend the program.

Among the new laws is AB 2241, limits the issuance of temporary operating permits to those individuals whose vehicles have yet to pass a smog check. The law calls for a $50 fee for one 60-day temporary operating permit only if the vehicle has been tested at a smog station and failed.
“This new law ensures that vehicles on our highways are properly registered and maintained,” said DMV Director George Valverde. “We also support efforts to reduce emissions which keep Californians healthy.”
In the past, owners were able to secure a temporary operating permit for 60 days or more if, after paying their renewal fees on time, they were unable to get a smog certificate for any reason. The continued operation of vehicles that have not met California’s smog test requirements is estimated to be emitting one to two tons per day of hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen.
Another law that will take effect in 2009 is SB 28, which coincides with the cell phone law of 2007 and prohibits text messaging with a cell phone or other text-based communications while driving a vehicle. In all, 1,187 bills were passed and 772 were signed into law – including over 80 changes to the Vehicle Code during the 2008 legislative year. Some of the other changes include fee increases to improve air quality, DUI penalties, and a new special interest license plate take effect on Jan. 1, 2009
Following is an abbreviated summary of the new laws that will take effect Jan. 1, 2009, unless indicated otherwise. A more comprehensive list appears on the DMV Web site at www.dmv.ca.gov
1) CONSUMER PROTECTION
*Unlicensed Car Dealers (AB 2042/Fuentes) This new law allows law enforcement officers to impound vehicles that are being sold by unlicensed dealers.
*Counterfeit Clean Air Stickers (SB 1720/Lowenthal) This new law will make it a crime to forge, counterfeit, or falsify a Clean Air Sticker. These stickers are currently issued by DMV to certain low emission vehicles and permit vehicles with these stickers to be driven in the HOV lane.
2) TRAFFIC SAFETY
*Text Messaging (SB 28/Simitian) This new law makes it an infraction to write, send, or read text-based communication on an electronic wireless communication device, such as a cell phone, while driving.
*DUI Probation License Suspension (AB 1165 Maze) A change in the driving under the influence (DUI) law creates a new authority for DMV to administratively suspend the driver’s license for one year under a zero tolerance standard. The new law authorizes law enforcement to issue a notice of suspension and impound the vehicle of a person who is driving with a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.01 percent or greater while on court-ordered post-DUI probation. CONTINUED »

The Auto Club

With scores of auto travelers hitting the roads this winter during rainstorms and expected snow, the Automobile Club of Southern California reminds motorists that it’s important to be prepared for a possible break down any time, including while vacationing, and even in a properly maintained vehicle.

According to the Auto Club, it’s important for drivers to be prepared for breakdowns or emergencies by outfitting their vehicle with food, water, blankets, tools, clothing and other gear in a roadside emergency kit should their vehicle become disabled, or they become lost. Properly stocked, an emergency kit will help drivers repair minor breakdowns, or possibly survive, until help arrives.

“Placing several items in an emergency roadside kit in your trunk will help prepare you to handle minor mechanical problems to get yourself back on the road or until the Auto Club or other rescue help arrives,” said Steve Mazor, the Auto Club’s Automotive Research Center Manager. “In this day and age, it’s very helpful to have a fully charged cell phone in your vehicle, along with water, blankets, a jacket and a disposable camera in your glove box in the event that you require a tow, 9-1-1 emergency assistance, or documentation of a crash,” added Mazor. The Auto Club recommends the following items be included in a basic roadside emergency kit for a vehicle:

Basic Roadside Emergency Kit Checklist:
Auto Club or AAA Membership Card (in your wallet)
Blanket
Cell Phone (charged and in vehicle)
Disposable Camera (in glove box)
First Aid Kit
Food
Tire Pressure Gauge
Fire Extinguisher
Flares, Warning Triangles or Reflectors
Flashlight with Extra Batteries
Heavy Gloves, Jacket, and Hat
Jack for Tire Changing
Jumper Cables
Paper Towels, Pencil and Notebook, Rags
Quart of Oil and Coolant (specific to your vehicle)
Reflective Sun Shade
Snow chains
Umbrella
Water

The Auto Club

New laws taking effect on Jan. 1 in California will ban text messaging while driving, regulate the positioning of GPS devices in vehicles, and increase fees levied on motorists in a variety of categories, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California.

Senate Bill 28 prohibits drivers from text messaging or e-mailing while driving. Fines for violating this law are at least $76 (including penalties) for a first offense and about $190 for subsequent offenses, depending on the county in which the violation occurred.

"The Auto Club supported this law because we believe it will help reduce the number of traffic crashes in the state," said Alice Bisno, the Auto Club's senior vice president for public affairs. "We encourage motorists to avoid all distractions while driving."

The Auto Club also sponsored a law in response to a member request to ensure that motorists are not unfairly penalized for parking violations that they did not commit. AB 2401 prevents a car owner from being held liable for a parking ticket or toll-evasion violation issued against a vehicle before he or she became the owner of the vehicle. Sufficient proof of non-ownership includes, but is not limited to, a copy of the sales agreement showing the date of the vehicle ownership transfer.

Another new law, SB 1567, requires portable GPS devices that are affixed to a vehicle windshield to be placed either in a seven-inch square in the lower right corner of the windshield or in a five-inch square in the lower left corner, while the vehicle is being driven. Motorists may still mount a GPS device on top of the dashboard as long as it doesn't block their view of the road. The device must not be placed so that it interferes with the deployment of an air bag. The fine for a violation is approximately $108 including penalties, depending on the county.

Most of the other new driver-related laws and regulations taking effect Jan. 1 involve fee increases.

"Unfortunately, this year's budget crunch in Sacramento resulted in a number of fee increases that target motorists," Bisno said. "It was perhaps inevitable that fees would be raised in light of the budget crisis, but the Auto Club opposes fee increases that disproportionately fall on drivers for non-motorist uses."

One law that the Auto Club opposed was SB 1407, which raises surcharges on traffic tickets by $35, "fix-it" tickets by $15, parking tickets by $3, and the court cost to attend traffic school by $25. The fee increases are being used to help pay for the construction and rehabilitation of courthouses. The vast majority of tickets are paid by mail or through bail forfeiture and most violators never set foot in a courthouse. The Auto Club opposed the measure because it is inequitable to place the burden of financing courthouse construction disproportionately on drivers who do not use court facilities.

Also, any vehicle purchased outside of California and brought into the state within 12 months of the purchase date is subject to the payment of a use tax (equivalent to a sales tax). Previously, the law imposed this tax only if the vehicle was brought into the state during the first 90 days of ownership. An owner can avoid paying this use tax by providing documentary evidence that he or she intends to use the vehicle outside the state. The state expects to receive approximately $20 million per year from this change in the law.

The Automobile Club of Southern California, the largest member of the AAA federation of motor clubs, has been serving Southern California since 1900. Today, the Auto Club's members benefit by roadside assistance, insurance products and services, travel agency, financial products, automotive pricing and buying programs, automotive testing and analysis, trip planning services and highway and transportation safety programs. Information about these products and services is available on the Auto Club's Web site at www.AAA.com.

Lower gas prices are putting a little more green in shoppers’ pockets for them to spend this holiday season, but economic concerns will still make many consumers want to stretch their shopping budget dollars as much as possible.

As one of the largest membership organizations in the Southland, the Automobile Club of Southern California has been able to negotiate discounts with hundreds of retail outlets and online merchants throughout the U.S., providing its members with savings that can significantly extend their holiday shopping budgets.

Last year, the AAA Show Your Card & Save program saved consumers nearly $1.2 billion through member discounts.

The Auto Club has several tips to help shoppers save money both on gifts and necessities during the holiday season, and maximize value when buying gifts:
Look for coupons. Retailers are eager to boost business and may provide discounts even during the holidays. In addition to the newspaper, many stores and products provide online coupons on their Web sites. Auto Club members can pick up a Member Savings Guide filled with coupons for special holiday savings at any of the 75 Auto Club offices in Southern California, or visit AAA.com/discounts. CONTINUED »

The Auto Club

An analysis of California drinking and driving data from 1998 to 2007 shows that alcohol-related crashes involving young adult women drivers soared, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California.

The Auto Club found that women drivers ages 21-24 involved in fatal and injury alcohol-related crashes more than doubled – rising by 116%. The Auto Club analysis also showed their male counterparts’ crashes during the same period rose 39%.

The analysis also shows that young adult women drivers, passengers and pedestrians’ alcohol-related deaths and injuries have risen substantially – by nearly half since 1998 when 1,037 women ages 21-24 were killed and injured in alcohol-related crashes. In 2007, the level had risen by 46% to 1,515 in 2007, according to the Auto Club.

The Auto Club analysis of California Highway Patrol data of the last 10 years shows that women far outpaced men the same age in alcohol-related deaths and injuries. Alcohol-related deaths and injuries of men ages 21-24 increased by 18% compared to the 46% for women.

The findings were announced today at the first Orange County Drinking and Driving Community Forum. Attending the forum were traffic safety, health care and law enforcement professionals from around the Southland who heard presentations from local, state and national experts on various aspects of impaired driving. The Orange County Drinking and Driving 2008 Community Forum is a partnership among the Auto Club, the Costa Mesa DUI Task Force, the County of Orange Health Care Agency Alcohol and Drug Education Prevention Team (ADEPT) and the UCI Center for Trauma and Injury Prevention Research.

The Auto Club analysis also showed a notable increase in alcohol-related crashes among female drivers 18-20. Women drivers ages 18-20 were involved in 74% more alcohol-related fatal and injury crashes in 2007 than in 1998. Male drivers increased their crashes by 27%. About 2,200 California drivers ages 18-20 are in alcohol-related fatal and injury crashes annually. CONTINUED »

The Auto Club

Gas price averages throughout Southern California dropped below $2 and kept on heading downward this past week, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California’s Weekend Gas Watch.

The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $1.912 per gallon, which is 19.7 cents less than last week, 90 cents lower than last month, and $1.44 under last year. In San Diego, the price is $1.873, which is 17.9 cents under last week’s price, 89 cents below last month, and $1.50 lower than last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $1.981, down 19.4 cents from last week, 86 cents below last month, and $1.44 below last year. In the Inland Empire, the average per gallon price is $1.876, which is 17.8 cents under last week, down 88 cents from last month, and $1.46 less than last year.

“Local gas prices have been dropping by double digits each week for nearly two months in a row,” said Auto Club spokesperson Jeffrey Spring. “It’s hard to know when or where price decreases will end, but gas price drops have leveled off this week in states that are paying in the $1.55-$1.65 range at the pump, such as Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma.”

The Auto Club

More than 3.2 million Southern Californians are expected to travel over this holiday weekend – a decrease of more than 2 percent from last Thanksgiving, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California.

About 82 percent of local Thanksgiving travelers – or 2.68 million people – will go by car to their holiday destinations, also a decrease of more than 2 percent over last year. Another 344,000 Southland residents are expected to fly to their destinations – a 5 percent decrease, while 222,000 will take a cruise, train or bus.

“There’s no doubt that recent economic uncertainty is impacting Thanksgiving travel,” said Auto Club spokesman Jeffrey Spring. “But the good news for travelers is that this is the cheapest 2008 holiday for car travel, with gas prices about half of what they were over the Memorial Day and Fourth of July holidays.”

Statewide, 5.2 million people are expected to take holiday trips this weekend, also a decrease of more than 2 percent over last year. Of those, 4.3 million are expected to drive and 551,000 are projected to take air trips.

Nationally, a decrease of more than 1 percent in travel is expected, with 41 million Americans expected to take Thanksgiving trips.

Southern Californians will mainly stay close to home over Thanksgiving, although some are taking longer-distance trips because of the four-day weekend. The top five destinations for Southern California travelers, according to a survey of the Auto Club’s AAA Travel agents, are:
San Diego
Mexico (cruises and resort stays)
Las Vegas
San Francisco
Grand Canyon

Around the state, travelers can expect to pay prices near $2 a gallon for gasoline – the lowest Thanksgiving gas prices since 2004.

The Auto Club advises motorists to plan their routes by calling the California Highway Information Number at 1-800-427-7623 for interstate and state route lane closures and highway closures. The information is updated hourly.

More Auto Club tips for holiday travelers include:
Consider driving during off-peak times to avoid congestion, but make sure you have at least six hours of sleep to avoid drowsy driving.
Check your vehicle's fluid levels, belts, hoses and tires before leaving.
Pack plenty of fluids and activities for youngsters for long trips.
Take care with children by properly using safety belts, car seats, and booster seats, and by accompanying them into the restroom during travel breaks.
Choose a well-lit, populated area for rest stops when driving at night.
Air travelers should make sure to arrive at least two hours early for domestic flights and three hours early for international flights during the holiday travel season, and to find out from a travel agent or the airport ahead of time about security procedures to avoid unnecessary delays.

The Auto Club

Gas prices took their biggest nosedive ever over the past month, plunging by about 25 percent or an average of three cents a day in most of Southern California, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California monthly Fuel Gauge Report.

The Southern California November average price for regular self-serve gasoline fell 88 cents to $2.569 from the October average of $3.449, and is now $2.02 below the all-time monthly record high of $4.585 set in July. In November 2007, the monthly Fuel Gauge Report average for Southern California was $3.355 – 79 cents higher than the current monthly average.

The statewide average price of $2.522 is nearly 94 cents lower than the October average of $3.457. The state’s lowest average price is in Stockton, where regular sells for $2.191. Bishop has the highest price average in the state at $3.119.

Nationally, the average price of $2.220 also has plunged by 94 cents from the October average of $3.163. Alaska has the highest state average price at $3.361, and Missouri has the lowest state average price, at $1.915. Four states now have price averages below $2 a gallon, and only Alaska and Hawaii have averages above $3.

“With gas prices that are nearly 25 percent cheaper than this time last year, Thanksgiving travel will be a more affordable option for many families,” said Auto Club spokesperson Jeffrey Spring.