Traffic Safety Tips

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Whether we're walking, biking or driving, we all have a role to play in traffic safety. View resources, watch quick safety videos, sign up for traffic safety classes and follow the safety tips below to be the best version of yourself on the road.

Remember, we're all in this together.

Traffic safety courses and events

As part of this county-wide Safer Streets Together program, we’re teaming up with the Ecology Action, Monterey County Health Department and the .... Bicycle Coalition to host a series of safety workshops and trainings.

Traffic safety tips

Biking

Wear a helmet. Helmets dramatically reduce the risk of serious head injuries.
Always use lights at night – at least, a white front light and a red rear reflector.
The same rules that apply to drivers apply to you.
Use the bike lane if one is available unless turning or passing.
Stop for pedestrians.

E-bikes

E-bikes need to follow the same rules of the road as pedal-powered bikes.

If you have an e-bike in your family, please make sure anyone using it understands the rules of the road, including new Carlsbad-specific rules passed by the City Council to improve safety.

Driving

Eliminate distractions and put your phone away.
Allow extra time to get where you need to go.
Slow down and watch your speed. Speeding makes it easier to lose control of your vehicle, increases its stopping distance and can cause more severe crashes.
Look out for and yield to pedestrians.
Be extra cautious when backing up. Even with sensors, there are blind spots.
Share the road with cyclists. Give them the space they need to ride safely.

Avoid distractions

Driving and being aware of what is happening on the road around you is complicated enough. That phone call, text or email can wait. Put down the phone and just drive. Our roads are safest when we all drive distraction-free.

California has a hands-free cell phone law, which prohibits drivers from holding a phone or other electronic device while behind the wheel.

Drivers under the age of 18 may not use any mobile communications device at all, whether hands-free or hand-held.
Starting July 1, 2021, violations that occur within 36 months of a prior conviction for the same electronic device violation is subject to a point against a driver’s record.
If you need to make a call or send a text, pull over and park at a safe location.
Avoid the temptation of using the phone while driving altogether! Put the phone in the glove box, trunk, or back seat; anywhere you cannot reach or use an app that silences your phone while driving.
Remember, there are other distractions: eating, grooming, reaching for something that fell on the floor, putting on or taking off clothing, deep conversations with passengers, or fussy children in the back seat. If you find yourself in any of these situations, find a quiet, safe place to park and address the distraction!

Take the distracted drivers quiz - Distracted Driving Quiz – Go Safely CA. Keep the conversation going. Talk to your teen drivers about driving distraction free and then model the behavior.

Walking

Be predictable: Walk on the sidewalk and cross the street at crosswalks if they are available.
Look left, then right, then left again for approaching vehicles before you cross. A driver traveling just 30 mph needs at least 90 feet to stop.
Be visible. Make it easier for drivers to see you by wearing light colors and reflective materials and carrying a flashlight.
Stay off your phone. Chatting and texting are distracting.
If there is no sidewalk and you have to walk on the road, walk facing traffic.

Videos

Check out the city's growing library of traffic safety videos to learn how we can all look out for one another and be the best versions of ourselves on the road.

Resources

Back to Safer Streets Together page