Chicago Car Accident Lawyer Blog

A common goal each year for city and state officials in Illinois is to reduce the number of Chicago car accidents leading to traffic fatalities. Illinois Department of Transportation and Illinois State Police recently announced, for the second straight year, the state recorded less than 1,000 traffic fatalities in 2010.

Those figures still rank Illinois among the nation's 10 deadliest states.

Our Chicago car accident attorneys are warning motorists that as the economy improves and people get back to work, the number of serious and fatal car accidents is expected to increase.

State and local officials may think that the milestone is commendable but the fact still remains that three people a day are killed in Illinois car accidents. In 2009, Illinois reported 911 fatalities in motor vehicle crashes. In 2010, the preliminary data shows 923 fatalities occurred from motor vehicle crashes on Illinois roadways.

"IDOT is encouraged by this historic accomplishment, but understands that continued perseverance and hard work are essential to maintain or decrease the number of traffic fatalities in years to come," said Illinois Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig. "In recent decades, the goal of achieving fewer than 1,000 roadway fatalities in a state of this size was considered impossible, but now it is reality."

A key element in reducing the number of traffic fatalities, or so it is believed, is the awareness, training, and engineering programs that are being funded and supported by city and state officials. Programs such as Occupant Protection, Motor Carrier Safety, Work Zone Safety, Drunk Driving, Motorcycle Safety and Teen Safe Driving have been the focal point over the last year or so in order to improve traffic safety and driving behaviors.

"We commend the efforts of our partners, as we spotlight the numerous effective programs administered by IDOT’s Division of Traffic Safety and our partner agencies," said Hannig. "We also applaud motorists’ continued efforts to drive safely and comply with highway safety laws in Illinois."

A strong partnership between Illinois State Police and Illinois Department of Transportation will continue to play an important role to keep Illinois roadways safe. IDOT has beefed up patrol around peak holidays and enhanced visibility of law enforcement officials in an effort to reduce the number drunk driving accidents as well as seatbelt usage in the state.

"The Illinois State Police is proud to continue its partnership with the Illinois Department of Transportation and law enforcement agencies to help reduce traffic crash fatalities. We remain committed to improving safety on Illinois roadways, and will utilize all available resources to provide safety education programs which promote safe driving habits," said Interim Director Patrick E. Keen. "Although it is difficult to attribute the reduction of traffic crash fatalities to a single factor, there is no doubt that the combined efforts of law enforcement personnel, the Illinois Department of Transportation and our private partners have significantly contributed to saving lives. With the continued support and cooperation from the motoring public, we can help keep the momentum going for years to come."

State and local officials want to take credit for the reduced statistics. But practicing safe driving behaviors is the best way to avoid becoming one.

Continue reading " Reduction in Chicago car accidents reported; state still among the nation's most dangerous " »

The most recent report for unemployment rates indicates the job market is improving. The recovery can only mean one thing for Chicago commuters, roadways are going to go back to being more congested. Our Chicago car accident attorneys know that the recovering economy is a good thing but want to remind motorists to use caution on roadways because congestion will likely lead to more Chicago car accidents in and around the city.

According to a recent article in CNN Money Chicago and Washington D.C are the two worst metro areas when it comes to traffic congestion. Chicago commuters spend an extra 70 hours of travel time on average per year in excess of normal commute time to and from work.

Over the last couple of years motorists may have seen a noticeable difference in the time spent sitting in traffic during their commute. In 2009, the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M reported that workers spent 4.8 billion hours in traffic jams or slowed traffic due to the volume of vehicles on the roadways. This was remarkably lower than in 2006 when the economy was still booming and motorists spent 5.25 billion hours sitting on congested roadways.

Part of the reason Chicago has a traffic problem is due to its aging infrastructure and roadways. Older roadways have been re-designed, essentially putting a band aid on them to accommodate a higher volume of traffic. In comparison to newer roads in other metro areas designed for today's traffic, they just don't hold a candle. Retrofitted roads often have narrow lanes, restricted shoulders, and shorter entrance and exit ramps. Motorists are forced to drive slower in order to avoid traffic crashes.

It is proven that the larger the metro area, the more congested the traffic. Highly populated areas, with over 3 million people, waste about 50 hours of time annually sitting in traffic. The number of people needs to diminish substantially in order for wasted time to go down. Meaning, less than a million people equates to about 22 hours of wasted time.

Americans need to get working again but like most things, the rejuvenated economy has its downside too. An increase in commuters means roadways go back to being congested. Congested highways, interstates, and city streets will likely mean the number of serious and fatal accidents will again increase. Motorists in Chicago are reminded to have patience and avoid high traffic times whenever possible.

Continue reading " Improving economy, increased congestion, make for greater risk of Chicago car accidents " »

The word on the street is that new technology could soon determine the safest roads to travel in Illinois and throughout the country. Our Chicago car accident lawyers frequently report about the dangers of congested roadways leading to Illinois car accidents.

USA Today recently reported that AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety surveyed over 2,000 drivers in 2009 and found that 73% of them would consider using data from a website that determined the safest roads to travel, especially on roads that aren't familiar to them.

There are currently numerous states participating in a pilot program to develop a website that will determine the safest roads. Illinois is one of 8 states participating in the new program. Other participants located in various parts of the country include New Mexico, Utah, Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, Florida, and Iowa. If proven successful, more states would be added throughout the course of this year.

Similar to other map websites that can determine the short distance both in time and mileage, the new website will use the same parameters. Users will log onto the website and put in city to city where they want to travel. The website will then determine which is the safest route based on highest rates of traffic deaths and serious injuries, as well as engineering features. Provided the information remains updated and accurate, this could be an extremely valuable tool for families who like to plan vacations traveling by car.

The program is expected to take two to three years to make comprehensive determinations regarding the nation's safest and deadliest routes. It will also allow state and local officials to use the data on fatalities, injuries, and safety features to improve the safety of their streets, highways, and interstates.

The University of Minnesota Center for Excellence in Rural Safety currently provides an interactive website that allows drivers to map fatal crashes. SafeRoadMaps.org originated in 2008 and has proven quite popular, with over 10 million viewers visiting the site in its relatively short time of existence.

The concept for the new technology is good but reliability still needs to be proven. Finding the safest route could help Illinois road trippers get where they want to go safely but the best determinant is to practice safer driving behaviors. Avoiding behaviors like distracted driving, road rage, and drunk driving can get you there safer than any website can.

Continue reading " Internet could put safe routes at your fingertips, reduce risk of Illinois car accidents " »

Since everyone ages differently, should senior citizens be permitted to make their own personal decision of when it is time to give up their car keys and sell the Oldsmobile or Caddy? personal injury attorneys in Chicago and elsewhere in the country understand that this is a dilemma that many senior citizens and family members are faced with these days.

A recent article in Ithaca Journal reports that, though most states require a shorter license renewal period for senior citizens, there is no age cut-off of when seniors are no longer permitted to drive. This inevitably leaves the decision up to the senior citizen who drives to church, the grocery store, bingo and social events -- often despite their health conditions or abilities to be safe drivers. Studies are showing that from ages 75 to 84, the fatality rate per 100 million miles driven is equivalent to that of the teenagers, who are typically considered the most dangerous drivers on the road. Elderly drivers ages 85 and older have a much higher fatality rate than teens, almost four times higher.

Do motorists have reason to fear elderly drivers causing Illinois car accidents? We posted previously on our Chicago Car Accident Lawyer Blog that 11.4% of the 1,434 fatal Chicago crashes in 2008 were from drivers age 65 and older.

There were 157 fatalities in 2008 in crashes involving a driver 65 and over in the state.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offers several resources to help elderly drivers and families. If states fail to establish an age cut-off for driving privileges, knowing the signs of when your driving skills are diminishing can help protect you and your loved ones from the anguish that so often accompanies a serious or fatal accident.

Driving Safely While Aging Gracefully is one resource to consider when determining if your driving skills are diminishing. The program offers the following tips:

-Vision should be tested annually. If you have trouble seeing lane lines, pavement markings, street signs, pedestrians, or other vehicles, especially at night, have your vision tested immediately.

-Sit on a cushion if you have trouble seeing over the dashboard and at least 10 feet in front of the car. Adjust your mirrors before you put the car in drive to avoid headlight glare.

-Difficulty looking over your shoulder, moving your foot from gas to brake pedal, moving your head from left to right, and raising your arms to the top of the steering wheel are all symptoms of declining physical fitness that can affect driving skills. Seek medical attention to help treat these physical deficiencies.

-An increase in stress or confusion, slowed reaction and lapses in attention span are all serious symptoms that must be identified in order to avoid traffic accidents.

Senior citizens with clean driving records should be given the benefit of the doubt when it comes to being a safe driver. However, knowing your capabilities and evaluating them honestly is what will keep senior drivers and other motorists safe on Chicago roadways.

Continue reading " Seniors drivers at high risk of Chicago car accidents " »