Fine for using mobile phone while driving increases to $528 maximum

Legislation created to increase the number of tickets issued for driving while using a handheld mobile phone and to increase the maximum fine to $528, has been sent to Governor Jerry Brown (D) from the California legislature. The California Senate has already given Senate Bill 28 its final approval by a 23 to 13 vote. The Assembly had previously voted for it by 51 to 21 in July. The bill will raise the current fines for using a hand held mobile phone while driving from $208 to $328 for the…

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Some California cities will continue with red light cameras

Various cities in Southern California have chosen to continue their commitment to enforcing red lights with cameras, regardless of L.A.’s decision to terminate the program. There was a unanimous vote in the Los Angeles City Council (13-0) in favor of ending the program after city officials deemed the payment of the fines for tickets issued by the cameras to be voluntary. This angered many motorists who had already paid their own tickets. Cities who remain committed to the program include Beverly Hills, where the program for red light cameras has…

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Mercury Insurance shows their approval for newly proposed auto discount in California

Mercury General Corp. has just announced its support of an auto insurance initiative comparable to last year’s Proposition 17, which was turned down by voters in June 2010. Supporters of this initiative are thrilled with Mercury’s backing, and are hoping that this second effort will make the difference. Insurance trade group, American Agents Alliance’s executive director, Mike D’Arelli, submitted the proposed initiative’s summary to the California attorney general’s office; taking the first step toward a vote on the initiative. Mercury had previously been a supporter of Proposition 17, having spent…

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American Agents Alliance initiative seeks discount for consumers maintaining car insurance

A California agents group, the American Agents Alliance, is moving forward with an initiative that would offer a discount to consumers who have persistently maintained their vehicle insurance, no matter their insurer or insurance company.  The current law states that this persistency discount is allowed only when the coverage has been continually kept with the same company.  However, the initiative sought by the Agents Alliance is comparable to Proposition 17 in 2010 – which lost by only 2 percent – and would have permitted consumers to carry their persistency discount…

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