California is a state built around the car culture, relying on cars to build businesses, travel, shop and provide a mobile independence. But there comes a time when knowledge and experience behind the wheel is offset by an inevitable decline in physical ability.

While drivers of all ages and both sexes speed at one time or another, high-speed drivers tend to be young males. A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) analysis found that nearly 40 percent of all drivers age 14-19 involved in fatal traffic crashes were in speed-related crashes, but the percentage among drivers age 70 and older decreased to 7 percent. At all ages, male drivers are more likely than female drivers to be involved in speed-related fatal crashes.

In an effort to stem the tide of uninsured drivers in California and offer a low priced insurance policy for the poor, state legislators created the California Low Cost Automobile Insurance Program.

The pilot program was launched on July 1, 2000 for San Francisco and Los Angeles county drivers. Since then, the program has expanded into all 58 counties.

On July 1, 2008, two new laws impacting the use of cell phones while driving a motor vehicle in California will go into effect.

The first law prohibits all drivers from using a hand-held wireless telephone while operating a motor vehicle in California except for adults using a hands-free device.
 

Auto insurance protects against financial loss if you are involved in a collision. It is a contract between you and the insurance company. The insured agrees to pay the premium, or cost of insurance, in exchange for the insurer’s agreement to pay for losses defined in the insurance policy.