Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog

A motorist from the far southwest Chicago suburb of Essex, Illinois was killed Saturday evening in a car crash, according to the Chicago Breaking News Center. The accident reportedly happened when the driver of another vehicle ran a stop sign at an intersection near Wilmington, Illinois.

The deadly auto accident occurred around 6:50 p.m at the intersection of Illinois Highway 129 and Stripmine Road. The 34 year old victim and his wife were traveling southbound on Route 129 in a Hyundai when the driver of a westbound Chrysler 300M failed to stop at a stop sign and collided with them.

The Illinois State Police are handling the car accident investigation. The at fault driver, a 43 year old Oak Forest resident, was ticketed for disobeying a stop sign and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. There was no indication that drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash, however lab tests were taken as a precaution and the police are awaiting results.

All three people involved in the automobile accident were taken by ambulance to Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, Illinois. The victim was pronounced dead around 8 p.m. The Will County coroner's office plans to conduct an autopsy Monday.

Continue reading " Chicago area driver killed in car accident " »

A 3-year old girl was seriously injured in an accident after being dragged 200 feet by a car on Tuesday in Fox Lake, Illinois.

The Chicago Breaking News Center reported the girl was playing on the side of the road when she was hit and became stuck under a 1999 Dodge Intrepid as it backed out of a driveway.

The 36-year-old driver of the Dodge did not realize the child was trapped beneath the car and drove a block on Arlington Road in Fox Lake. Luckily, neighbors saw what happened and chased the car down. The witnesses then reportedly lifted the vehicle off the girl.

She was airlifted to Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge with injuries to her head and shoulder. The victim may have to undergo extensive reconstructive surgery.

The driver of the Dodge and two passengers were questioned by police. Authorities said there is no indication alcohol was involved.

The Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team is handling the accident investigation.

Also see the story as reported by the Lake County News-Sun.

Chicago police are launching an effort this week aimed at reducing the number of pedestrian traffic accidents and personal injuries at night.

The city's enforcement effort targets four city areas with a high number of pedestrian crashes -- River North, Austin, Wrigleyville, and 79th Street (Ashland to the Dan Ryan).

If drivers don't yield to the pedestrians, as required by law, the vehicle will be pulled over by police officers farther down the street and face a fine of $50 to $500, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The program, which launched Monday in conjunction with an effort by the Chicago Department of Transportation, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Western Michigan University, includes multiple approaches to address nighttime safety, including an element similar to Chicago's crosswalk enforcement efforts, which use undercover police officers posing as pedestrians in crosswalks.

Other elements include speed enforcement and an education component involving outreach to bars, restaurants and taxi companies. Small changes such as traffic signal-timing adjustments and new pavement markings may also occur.

The effort is being led by Dr. Ron Van Houten, professor of psychology at WMU, and Richard Blomberg, of Connecticut-based Dunlap and Associates. In a recent study conducted in Miami, Dr. Van Houten introduced procedures that decreased overall crashes by 50% along high crash corridors.

A Western Michigan University study on nighttime crashes in Chicago from 2005 to 2007 found the four zones being targeted had notably high numbers of nighttime pedestrian accidents. Several factors were identified as being related to the crashes, including alcohol use and driver behaviors and inattention.

"When you drive you are more likely to see something if you are thinking about it,” said Dr. Van Houten. “Whenever and wherever you drive, particularly at night, think about pedestrians."

The program is slated to continue through the fall.

The Chicago car accident lawyers at Abels & Annes have a history of advocacy on behalf of pedestrian accident victims, including a $255,000 recovery earlier this year for a woman struck in a crosswalk while leaving Good Friday church service.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has signed a law raising the speed limit to 65 mph for semis and other large trucks. But the trucks will be traveling with better brakes, thanks to federal regulations passed last month aimed at saving lives.

The law, which is the result of a three-year battle among lawmakers, takes effect Jan. 1. While it will not impact highways in the immediate Chicago area, safety advocates voiced concern about allowing semis, dump trucks and other large trucks to legally travel faster among much smaller passenger cars.

The Illinois truck accident lawyers and Chicago personal injury attorneys at Abels & Annes represent victims of accidents with large trucks, which can often weigh 10 times more than a 4,000 pound passenger car.

In 2008, 4,229 people were killed in crashes involving large trucks, down 12 percent from the 4,822 deaths recorded in 2007.

Nine states -- Arkansas, California, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, Montana, Oregon, Texas, and Washington -- still retain lower speed limits for large trucks, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Texas and Utah allow semis to travel as fast as 80 mph.

In July, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued new braking requirements, which the federal government estimates will save more than 200 lives a year and reduce property damage by more than $169 million a year.

“Safety is our highest priority,” Secretary Ray LaHood said. “Motorists deserve to know they are sharing the road with large trucks that are up to the safest possible standards, so they can get home alive to their families.”

The new standard requires that a tractor-trailer traveling at 60 miles per hour come to a complete stop in 250 feet. The old standard required a complete stop within 355 feet.

The new regulation will be phased in over four years beginning with 2012 models in an effort to speed up the introduction of the latest brake technology to help truck drivers avoid collisions with other vehicles.

The new rule applies only to truck tractors, and does not include single-unit trucks, trailers and buses.

Continue reading " Illinois increases truck speed limit to 65 mph " »

A brother and sister have been injured in a Chicago rollover car crash on August 16, 2009 in the early morning hours. Chicago personal injury lawyers at Abels & Annes have agreed to represent them in an accident claim against the at fault driver's insurance carrier.

Our clients were traveling in an SUV on Interstate 55 in the middle lane near Harlem Avenue. The brother, a 36 year old Chicago resident, was driving, and at that time saw headlights coming from behind him. The car looked to be approaching at a speed of 80-100 mph. The speeding car hit an Oldsmobile immediately to their left and the Olds then ran into their SUV. Our clients went into a ditch and their car rolled over twice.

The driver that caused the accident fled the scene. The driver of the Oldsmobile was able to take down the license plate of the hit-and-run vehicle, and the plate was reported to the Illinois State Police who handled the crash investigation. The state police, working with the Stickney Police Department, were able to track down the owner of the vehicle, who admitted involvement in the accident. The hit & run driver was ticketed and has an early October court date in Bridgeview, Illinois.

The siblings both sustained injuries. The brother was treated at Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn and the sister was taken by ambulance to Loyola Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois. Both are seeking follow-up treatment with orthopaedic physicians in the Chicago area.

Chicago personal injury attorneys at Abels & Annes reached a $60,000 settlement today for a client who sustained personal injuries in a February 4, 2009 truck accident.

On the afternoon of the occurrence the plaintiff was driving her vehicle southbound on I-94 just south of I-290 in lane number 3. The defendant was driving his semi-truck southbound on I-94 just south of I-290 in lane number 2. The car crash occurred when the truck driver switched lanes into the plaintiff's lane and struck her vehicle. The rear passenger’s side of the defendant’s trailer struck the driver’s side of our client’s vehicle. Her car was totaled as a result of the damage caused by the auto accident.

We alleged in the claim that the trucker failed to keep a proper lookout, improperly changed lanes, failed to yield the right of way, was driving at an excessive rate of speed, and failed to exercise due care for the safety of those in the area, including the Plaintiff.

Following the truck accident the plaintiff had an immediate onset of back and neck pain. She was transferred from the scene of the accident to John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital’s Emergency Department. She was given pain medication and instructed to seek follow up treatment.

Over the next two days our client's pain and discomfort got much worse. Her pain became so bad that she sought medical care from West Suburban Hospital’s Emergency Department on February 6, 2009. There she reported increasing neck pain, mid/upper/lower back pain, headaches, lower abdominal pain and left flank pain. A history was taken, she was examined and diagnostic tests were performed. She was given more pain medication and instructed to follow up with her physician.

Due to her ongoing complaints of pain and discomfort the plaintiff sought treatment from an orthopaedic physician beginning on February 11, 2009. She complained of neck and back pain and stiffness as well as left wrist pain. The doctor found muscle spasms and muscle stiffness upon examination and prescribed a course of physical therapy. An MRI was ordered, which showed injuries to her low back and neck.

The physician determined that our client reached maximum medical improvement as of March 25, 2009 and discharged her from his care. Despite being discharged she continued to suffer from periodic pain and discomfort both in her lower back in her neck for several months.

As a result of her injuries our client incurred over $18,000 in medical bills and she also missed a week of work.

The accident case settled for $60,000 without a lawsuit being filed. The Cincinnati Insurance Group insures the defendant.

With Illinois bikers hitting the street in big numbers through the Labor Day weekend and the media focusing on the increase in motorcycle fatalities, the Illinois State Police have announced a new initiative aimed at motorcycle awareness.

The Chicago Sun-Times recently reported Illinois motorcycle accidents are up 22 percent, from 2,180 in 2007 to 2,663 last year.

The Chicago motorcycle accident lawyers at Abels & Annes urge riders and motorists to do your part in reducing motorcycle accidents. Many accidents are caused by other vehicles who either don't take the time to look for motorcycles or misjudge how fast the much-smaller motorcycles are approaching.

As we reported in a blog last month, fatality statistics are sobering for motorcycle riders across the country. Nationwide, motorcycle fatalities increased for the 11th straight year and accounted for 14 percent of all traffic fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

A total of 5,290 riders were killed in 2008, compared to 5,174 in 2007. The increase came in a year when federal statistics revealed a steep drop in virtually every other category, including a 13 percent decline in motor vehicle fatalities.

On Friday, Illinois State Police Director Jonathon E. Monken was joined by the Illinois Department of Transportation and State Farm Insurance Company to announce efforts to increase motorcycle safety awareness.

“The Illinois State Police continues its commitment towards reducing traffic fatalities to record setting levels through enforcement and education efforts,” said ISP Director Jonathon Monken. “Tragically, however, one area that is quickly on the rise nationally is motorcycle fatalities. We hope by partnering with State Farm and the Illinois Department of Transportation in order to call attention to the nationwide increase in motorcycle fatalities, we will also emphasize motorcycle safety awareness.”

The ISP encourages motorcyclists to take a rider safety course to hone their riding skills, and offers the following safety tips for new riders all the way up to seasoned veterans:

- Although Illinois does not mandate wearing a motorcycle helmet, use of approved helmets, protective body wear, boots and gloves is strongly recommended.

- Improve your visibility by wearing brightly colored clothing during the day and reflective clothing at night.

- Be alert for animals alongside and on the roadway, not only in rural areas, but in urban areas as well.

- Don’t ride beyond 80% of your riding capabilities. To do so leaves no margin for the unexpected.

- When riding with another motorcycle, stagger your position. This allows both riders to take evasive action safely should the need occur.

- Don’t become fixed on what’s just beyond your front tire. Be aware of what’s ahead. Safe riders remain aware of developing situations 12-16 seconds ahead. This includes other vehicles, potholes, roadway obstructions, and other potential hazards. This allows time to plan and react in a controlled manner.

- Oil, grease and other fluids from cars and trucks generally collects in the middle of the lane. Avoid these potentially slick areas by riding in the normal wheel tracks of these vehicles.

- In the event emergency braking is required, remember motorcycles have far better stopping capabilities than cars and trucks. As you’re avoiding the hazard, scan for a safe escape route while watching for vehicles approaching from behind.

- Before proceeding through an intersection, check left, check front, check right, and check left again. Checking left first is important because this is the first lane you cross. Continue to scan in the intersection in a clockwise pattern, checking traffic approaching in front, in case that vehicle turns left in front of you. 77% of motorcycle crashes involving another vehicle happen in this manner.

- Don’t lend your motorcycle to someone without knowing his or her skill level and making sure they have the proper license.

- Don’t drink and ride. Alcohol slows reactions and impairs function.

The Chicago personal injury attorneys at Abels & Annes have been advocating motorcycle safety on our blog throughout the summer.

Our summer blog on motorcycle safety can be found by clicking here

Click here to read our post on 10 things all drivers should know about motorcycles.

Continue reading " Illinois state police move to address Chicago area motorcycle accidents as Labor Day weekend approaches " »

On the South Side of Chicago, five firefighters and two others were injured when a vehicle and a fire truck collided on Saturday around 5 p.m., according to the Chicago Breaking News Center. The car crash occurred at 67th Street and Jeffery Avenue as the Chicago Fire Department engine was responding to an alarm on South Brandon Avenue.

The fire truck was eastbound on 67th when it was reportedly hit by a car. The engine then hit a pole.

5 firefighters were injured and taken by ambulance to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Trinity Hospital, and Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. One was in serious-to-critical condition.

The male driver and female passenger of the other vehicle were taken to Northwestern, and the passenger is in critical condition. The driver, a Chicago resident, was ticketed by the Chicago Police Department for failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, no insurance and damage to city property.

In this type of case, hopefully the injured passenger has an auto insurance policy of her own, as it appears the driver of her car was uninsured. If insured, the passenger can make an uninsured motorist claim against her own policy. The Chicago car accident lawyer that represents her will also take a close look at the police report and interview witnesses to see if there is any liability on the part of the fire department.

Also see the story as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times, and see ABC News for an accident photo.

A fatal Chicago suburban car accident involving teens leaving a graduation party earlier this summer has led to a personal injury lawsuit in Kane County Circuit Court.

Chelsea Mertz, 17, of St. Charles, has filed suit seeking more than $50,000. Her attorney claims she suffered a broken jaw and a brain injury as a result of the accident June 17. Mertz was one of four teenagers in an SUV that went off the road and slammed into trees on the 3100 block of Royal Fox Drive in St. Charles. The accident killed front-seat passenger Cameron Godee of West Chicago.

The lawsuit accuses the teen driver of driving more than 40 mph over the speed limit down the wrong side of the road, high on marijuana and alcohol while driving a group of St. Charles East High School classmates home from a graduation party at 3:30 a.m.

Mertz and another back-seat passenger survived the crash. She had her jaw wired shut and is undergoing rehabilitation for a brain injury, according to her attorney. She is recovering but is having speech difficulties and the long-term effects of the brain injury remain uncertain.

The civil lawsuit is up in court for the first time on October 20th.

The driver has also been criminally charged with 12 counts of aggravated DUI and four counts of reckless homicide, according to the Suburban Chicago Daily Herald. Police have said his blood-alcohol content was nearly three times the legal threshold, and he tested positive for marijuana.

With school beginning, the Chicago car accident lawyers at Abels & Annes urge parents to speak with their children about driver safety and the need to make good choices when it comes to their safety behind the wheel or as a passenger.

The school year brings with it new friends, new opportunities, new freedom and new danger. Federal statistics consistently show auto accidents are the leading cause of death for young people ages 15 to 24.

Drivers who cause a car accident without automobile insurance face up to a year in jail under a tougher new Illinois uninsured motorist law signed by Gov. Pat Quinn on Friday.

Chicago personal injury attorney Dave Abels was interviewed about the new law earlier this summer and has published several blogs about the need to crack down on uninsured motorists and to raise the state's mandatory minimum insurance coverage.

"The way the law stands right now it just doesn't provide real protection for people who are seriously injured in auto accidents," said Abels, of Abels & Annes, a Chicago law firm that handles car accidents, motorcycle accident and other personal injury claims. "It covers you for small accidents but not the big accidents that you really care about where your life is changed forever."

The new law makes driving without insurance a misdemeanor criminal offense and carries a penalty of up to one year in jail and a $2,500 fine. The old law carried a fine of up to $1,000 and a license suspension of 3 to 6 months.

The new law, which The Southern newspaper noted was heavily supported by lawmakers this spring before heading to Gov. Quinn for his signature, is named after Johnston City native and Southern Illinois University graduate Michael Dean.

Dean was hit and killed by an uninsured driver while driving on Illinois 13 in July 2006.

Abels said the new law is a step in the right direction but noted that Illinois still needs to address its low mandatory insurance limits of $20,000 per person and $40,000 per occurrence.

"No amount of money is going to bring a loved one back or make a family whole again, but $20,000 is a slap in the face," Abels said. "I have handled car accident death cases where the victim incurred over $500,000 in medical bills."

Continue reading " Illinois tougher uninsured motorist law passes " »

In the Chicago western suburb of Westchester, Illinois a 6 year old boy has been critically injured in an auto accident, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The car the boy was riding in hit a truck on the Eisenhower Expressway on Sunday just after 3:30 p.m.

A truck driver had pulled over to the eastbound highway shoulder, according to the Illinois State Police. The truck had pulled over to seek some type of assistance from an IDOT worker.

A short time later a woman driving a Ford Taurus drove onto the shoulder for reasons unknown and rear-ended the truck. The child was a passenger in the Taurus. The child was in a booster seat in the back.

The Westchester Fire Department transported the boy to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois in critical condition. The trucker, the Taurus driver and the IDOT worker were reportedly not seriously injured.

The relationship between the boy and the Taurus driver has not been reported. It has also not been reported if drugs or alcohol played a role.

Serious injuries to innocent child passengers in car crashes is common in the Chicago area. In this type of case the parents of the child will look to pursue a civil claim against the Ford driver's auto insurance company. If the Ford driver was the child's parent, that will not bar the civil claim in the State of Illinois.

There is no word if Chicago car accident lawyers are involved in the case yet. The injury lawyers that work on the case will look to see if there was any negligence on the part of the truck driver. For example, they will attempt to determine if the truck was completely on the shoulder, or was it partially sticking out in the road.

Also see the story at WBBM News Radio.

Chicago bicycle accident lawyers and Illinois car crash attorneys at Abels & Annes have entered into an agreement to represent a Chicago resident who was critically injured in a bike accident on July 20th. The accident happened when our client was riding his bicycle on W. North Avenue when a driver in a parked car opened her car door as the plaintiff was riding by.

The bicyclist fell to the ground and sustained life threatening injuries. He was taken by ambulance to Mt. Sinai Hospital in Chicago and diagnosed with internal head injuries and a collapsed lung. He has undergone multiple surgeries since the date of the accident.

The plaintiff has remained in the hospital since the crash, and he is about to be transferred to a long care facility.

The bicycle accident was investigated by the Chicago Police Department. The at fault driver was ticketed for swinging her car door into traffic.

This type of accident is not uncommon in the Chicago area. Our office has handled several cases where a bike rider was injured by a motorist who negligently opened a door into traffic without looking. In a congested urban area like Chicago, drivers have to be diligent in checking for approaching bicyclists.

Lake County Police are aggressively enforcing laws requiring motorists to move over and slow down for emergency vehicles, according to the Daily Herald

It is a good reminder for all motorists to move over and slow down when approaching emergency vehicles and to yield to emergency vehicles running with lights and sirens.

The Chicago car accident lawyers at Abels & Annes also remind motorists to pay special attention to the vehicles around you in such situations. Driving defensively is the best offense to avoiding an accident that seriously injures you or someone else.

While common sense should prevail, the Lake County figures show drivers in increasing numbers are not obeying Scott's Law, named for Lieutenant Scott Gillen of the Chicago Fire Department who was struck and killed in 2000 by an intoxicated driver on the Dan Ryan Expressway.

Lake County authorities handed out 25 tickets to motorists in violation of the law in 2002, compared to 68 last year and 119 in the first six months of this year.

“Every day, law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency response personnel, and highway workers place their lives in jeopardy to protect the citizens of the state of Illinois. The most important thing we do is to ensure citizens return home safely to their families,” said Illinois State Police Director Director LarryTrent. “Scott’s Law helps these workers safely perform their duties so that they, too, can return home to their families each day.”

Since the legislation was enacted in 2002, the Illinois State Police has issued a total of more than 20,000 violations to motorists for non-compliance with the statute.

The law requires motorists to yield to moving emergency vehicles, including highway maintenance vehicles, displaying oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights. Additionally, Scott’s Law requires a driver to change lanes (if safe to do so) or reduce speed and proceed with caution when approaching a stationary emergency vehicle displaying flashing warning lights.

Violators in Lake County face a $100 to $200 fine and can face traffic school and court supervision. However, the penalty can escalate to a $10,000 fine and a three-year license suspension for anyone who destroys property or injures someone in violation of the law.

"It has just gotten to the point where something has to be done," Lake County Sheriff's Sgt. Curt Gregory said. "It seems like hardly anyone is aware of what the danger in this is, and we have got to get the word out."

The message is simple.

"We just want to get the word out that this is a disaster waiting to happen," he said. "All we are asking is to be able to do our job in an environment that is not unnecessarily dangerous."

With hand-held cell-phone use by drivers banned in Chicago since 2005 and a law awaiting the signature of Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, our area is among the nation's leaders in combating distracted drivers, according to a New York Times article that examines the difficulty states are having in passing such legislation.

The Chicago car accident lawyers at Abels & Annes continue to monitor the impact of cell-phone use and distracted driving on Chicago car accidents and personal injury and wrongful death cases.

This year, state legislators introduced about 170 bills to address distracted driving, but passed fewer than 10.

Chicago passed a ban on hand-held cell phones in 2005 and currently issues about 700 tickets a month. The cost of the fine increase from $75 to $100 earlier this year.

And last month we blogged about two laws awaiting the governor's signature that will make it illegal to read, compose or send electronic messages while driving or to use a cell phone while driving in a school or construction zone.

“With the increased use of technological devices, distracted driving has become a serious problem in our state and in the nation,” said Secretary of State Jesse White, who pushed for the restrictions. “No driver has any business text messaging while they are driving.”

Studies show drivers continue to identify cell-phone use as a serious problem behind the wheel -- just not with them.

A survey of 1,506 people last year by Nationwide Mutual Insurance found, 81 percent of cellphone owners acknowledged that they talk on phones while driving. Yet 98 percent considered themselves safe drivers even though nearly half claimed they had been hit or nearly hit by a driver talking on a phone.

“When we ask people to identify the most dangerous distraction on the highway today, about half — correctly — identify cellphones,” said Bill Windsor, associate vice president for safety at Nationwide. “But they think others are dangerous, not themselves.”

A 2003 Harvard study estimated that cellphone distractions caused 2,600 traffic deaths every year, and 330,000 accidents that result in moderate or severe injuries. Yet the use of cell phones has skyrocketed since then and the advent of text messaging is even more dangerous behind the wheel. From 1995 to 2008, the number of wireless subscribers in the United States increased eightfold, to 270 million, and minutes talked rose 58-fold, according to The Times article.

Five states and the District of Columbia require drivers who talk on cellphones to use hands-free devices. A number of cities, like Chicago, have done the same. However, research shows that using headsets can be as dangerous as holding a phone because the conversation distracts drivers from focusing on the road, according to The Times.

Fourteen states have passed measures to ban texting while driving.

While almost all of us are guilty of driving and talking on the phone, the dangers are very real and Chicago personal injury and wrongful death lawyers continue to see cases where serious and fatal accidents were caused by distracted drivers talking on the phone.

Continue reading " City of Chicago, State of Illinois lead fight against car accidents caused by cell phones " »

A new federal study released last month found one in every seven nighttime weekend drivers tested positive for drugs.

The Chicago car accident lawyers at Abels & Annes urge weekend drivers to remain on the lookout for erratic drivers. Studies have long shown drivers are most likely to be drunk and driving between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m.

While the study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found the percentage of motorists driving drunk continued to decline, the study for the first time tested for drug use and the results were sobering:
- 16.3 percent of nighttime weekend drivers were drug positive.
- Marijuana (8.6 percent)
- Cocaine (3.9 percent)
- Medications (3.9 percent)

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said he is concerned about the prevalence of drivers who use drugs.

“I’m pleased to see that our battle against drunk driving is succeeding,” said Secretary LaHood. “However, alcohol still kills 13,000 people a year on our roads and we must continue to be vigilant in our efforts to prevent drunk driving.”

The percentage of drunk drivers identified in the survey has fallen from 7.5 percent in 1973 to 2.2 percent in the most recent survey. This study was the first to measure for the presence of drugs.

“This troubling data shows us, for the first time, the scope of drugged driving in America, and reinforces the need to reduce drug abuse,” said Gil Kerlikowske, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. “Drugged driving, like drunk driving, is a matter of public safety and health. It puts us all at risk and must be prevented.”

The NHTSA is conducting further research to assess how drug traces correspond to driver impairment since some drugs can remain in the body for days or even weeks.

Among the findings of the latest roadside survey:

- The percentage of male drivers with illegal BAC levels was 42 percent higher than the percentage of alcohol-impaired female drivers.

- Drivers were more likely to be illegally drunk during late nighttime hours (1 a.m. to 3 a.m.) than during daytime or early evening hours.

- Motorcycle riders were more than twice as likely as passenger vehicle drivers to be drunk (5.6 percent compared with 2.3 percent).

- Pickup truck drivers were the next most likely to have illegal BACs (3.3 percent).

Continue reading " Chicago car accident alert - one in seven weekend-night drivers test positive for drugs " »