Is Brake Checking the Tailgating Car Behind You Legal in California?

Illustration of a red car stopping abruptly, causing a yellow car behind to rear-end it, with text discussing brake checking and car accidents.

California can be a dangerous place for drivers, with the state’s Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) reporting that 3,606 traffic collision fatalities occurred in 2019. In total, 3.316 fatal car accidents were reported in California that year. Here in Los Angeles, 289 people were killed in traffic collisions in 2021 (according to data up to December 25 of that year). […]