Safety Warning On California Road

Problem
California's coastal route is spectacular but also dangerous. March 28 2018 newspapers online report
five deaths in a car which plunged over a cliff. What can you do to reduce risks?

Answers
DIRECTION
If you are booking a holiday to California, planning to drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco, or the reverse, consider which direction is safer.

DAYTIME
You might choose to avoid driving at night.
Check distances, speeds, allow for meal stops, breaks, photo stops, and book overnight hotels.

FOG
Check for fog warnings.

SEATBELTS & SEPARATION
Keep seatbelts on. It might not save you if you plunger over a cliff, but it could stop children jumping around and distracting you.
One parent stopped his children fighting in the back by putting barriers between them, all the way up from the seat, past their arms, maybe up to their faces.

CAMPAIGN FOR BARRIERS
If you live in the area, you might consider starting a campaign for barriers.  If the state has an insufficient budget, consider crowdfunding and permission to fund and erect barriers sponsored by the public or big business.

Plan Your Trip
For me the highlights of California were and are:
Wine country visits to wineries driving north of San Francisco.
San Francisco
Ripley's Believe It Or Not (also London, England, and all over the world)
Hearst Castle
Winchester Mystery House
Los Angeles - 1 Disneyland - 2 Queen Mary Ship tour

Useful Websites
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5551367/5-killed-car-plunges-Californias-coastal-highway.html

https://www.visitusa.org.uk

http://www.visitcalifornia.com/uk

http://www.visitcalifornia.com/region/discover-san-francisco-bay-area

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g240329-i513-k8808848-Dangerous_road_Highway_1-Big_Sur_California.html

https://www.discoverlosangeles.com

http://hearstcastle.org/plan-your-trip/

https://disneyland.disney.go.com

http://www.queenmary.com

http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com

safety braking on the highway
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_n-HIBnfts Demo in New Zealand of various speeds with cutouts of adults and children. What surprised me is that they show the difference is between 50 and 60, - is that Km? In the UK we are told that at 30 mph if you hit somebody they can survive. At 40 mph it is touch and go (I know - I was a pedestrian hit, with multiple injuries). At 50 mph no chance. That's the reason for the 30 mph speed limit in UK built up areas, when you see houses or buildings and local lamp posts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGkKDaYd3Mo 
Jeremy Clarkson on speed and braking and the highway code and old and new cars.

Music To Play In The Car
https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/california/articles/12-songs-you-need-to-listen-to-when-in-san-francisco/
If you're going to San Francisco be sure to wear some flowers in your hair
San Jose

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker