Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog

The federal government announced a final rule to outlaw drivers of trucks and buses from using hand-held cell phones at the wheel, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). This was the most current attempt to curb distracted driving and to reduce the risks of car accidents in Chicago and elsewhere. Commercial drivers are already prohibited from texting at the wheel.

"I hope that this rule will save lives by helping commercial drivers stay laser-focused on safety at all times while behind the wheel," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

As we recently reported on our Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, officials are at it again. Recently, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) made a recommendation for all 50 states to outlaw the use of all electronic devices by all drivers. Support for this type of law is split. Some support the measure in saying that our roadways are far too dangerous with the number of distracted drivers and a law needs to be enacted to help regulate the dangerous behavior. Others say that this type of blanket ban is overpowering and is restricting the right of motorists as residents of the United States.

Under the law for the truckers and bus drivers, if they're busted driving while using a hand-held cell phone they can face fines of nearly $3,000. A driver's commercial driver's license (CDL) could be suspended after two traffic violations. In addition to penalizing these drivers, the companies that employ these truckers can face an $11,000 fine. This final rule affects roughly four million drivers working in the industry.

As we recently reported, the NTSB is urging all lawmakers to prohibit the use of all devices for drivers, except devices that aid road safety and for emergency use. The NTSB doesn't have the authority to enact any laws, but its recent recommendations have been proven to pull significant weight with federal authorities.

In Illinois, school bus drivers and those who are under the age of 18 are banned from using a hand-held cell phone at the wheel. Drivers within the City of Chicago are prohibited from using a cell phone while driving. All drivers in the state are banned from texting while driving. All of the laws could soon be wiped out and a full-out ban could be enacted if the NTSB's recommendation is adopted by federal and state lawmakers.

As we head into the holiday season, traffic is expected to increase significantly as vacationers from around the country head out to their favorite holiday vacation destinations. The National Safety Council is predicting that the New Year's and the Christmas holiday will see nearly 600 roadway fatalities. Many of these fatalities can be avoided if drivers exercise safe and responsible driving habits. Please be safe on our roadways through the rest of the holiday season!

Continue reading "Officials Continue Efforts to Help Reduce Risks of Distraction-Related Car Accidents in Chicago and Elsewhere" »

The costs of fatal car accidents in Chicago have increased tremendously in recent years. According to USA TODAY, the average cost of a fatal car accident now runs about $6 million. A newly release report concludes that the cost of these accidents have surpassed the cost of traffic congestion. Traffic congestion costs include motorists' time and the waste of gas while idling. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety recently conducted the study in about 100 urban areas, including Chicago. In these areas, the cost of accidents are now at least three times higher than the cost of congestion, nearly $300 billion compared to about $100 billion.

AAA got its accident information from data collected by the Federal Highway Administration. These figures include costs pertaining to medical bills, lost earnings, property damage, legal costs, administrative costs, lost time at work, vocational rehabilitation, travel delays, emergency services, loss of household activities, pain, suffering and lost quality of life.

Our Chicago car accident attorneys understand that the costs for these accidents sat at around $3.25 million in 2005. During this time, injury accidents cost only about $68,000. The cost has nearly doubled since then. For many families, even those who don’t realize it, an accident can be among the biggest threats to their financial well-being. Medical complications can last years or take years to present themselves. If you've been in an accident, do you and your family a favor and consult an attorney to review your case.

This new study was conducted to help push the issue of transportation policies within Congress, which is currently considering a long-term highway funding bill, according to Chris Plaushin, AAA's director of federal relations.

"We wanted to raise the profile and raise the awareness," says Plaushin. "Right now, it's jobs, it's construction, it's economic growth that are being talked about. This is part of our effort to bang the drum about safety."

He says that it would be nearly impossible to attack congestion without affecting accidents and vice versa. Usually, highly congested areas have more reports of traffic accidents. Recent studies have concluded that roughly 40 percent of congestion is the result of accidents and weather and not from road conditions.

These traffic accidents continue to be the number one cause of death for people age 5- to 34-years-old in the United States.

The study also makes recommendations on how to reduce the costs associated with these accidents. These suggestions include investing more in roadway safety measures, including rumble strips, roundabouts in place of rumble strips, cable barriers, etc. Officials also recommend putting more laws into effect to help curb distracted driving, drunk driving and aggressive driving. All of these behaviors can be regulated with stricter enforcement.

"We know what's effective," said AAA spokesman Troy Green. "Tough laws. Stricter enforcement. Strict penalties. And targeted messaging and public education campaigns are effective, and we need more of those."

Continue reading "Fatal Car Accidents in Chicago and Elsewhere Cost Residents nearly $300 Billion" »

“You want a mix of country driving and urban driving, with different kinds of roads, with different kinds of weather," said Diana Horton of the Tri-County Driving School based in Kane County.

She's talking about young drivers and their experience through the Graduated Drivers Licensing (GDL) program in Illinois. This program is used to help educate teens to drive though a number of stages. The program aims to reduce the risks of teen car accidents in Chicago and elsewhere.

Our Chicago teen car accident attorneys understand that teens who participate in a GDL program typically experience a 26 percent decrease in the number of teen driving accidents. Unfortunately, CNN reports that older teen drivers are not seeing the same decrease -- another reason why parents should remain involved in their teen's driving through high school and even college.

The GDL program in Illinois, according to Cyber Drive Illinois:

15-year-old drivers, Permit Phase:
-Must be enrolled in a driver education course that has been approved by the DOT.
-May not drive from Sunday through Thursday between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
-May not drive on Friday and Saturday from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
-Must pass a written and a vision exam.
-Must hold this permit for at least nine months.
-Must complete at least 50 hours of practice driving time with a licensed supervising adult.
-Can only have one front seat passenger and the number of seat belts in the back seat.
-All vehicle occupants under 19 must wear a seat belt.
-Drivers may not use a cell phone.

16- and 17-years-old, Initial Licensing Phase:
-A parent must certify that the driver has completed 50 hours of supervised driving.
-A parent must be present to obtain this license from the DMV.
-Must have completed the driver education course.
-May not drive from Sunday through Thursday between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
-May not drive on Friday and Saturday from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
-Cannot have a traffic conviction with six months before applying for next license.
-All vehicle occupants under 19 must wear a seat belt.
-Can only have one passenger under the age of 20 at a time.
-Cannot use a cell phone while driving.

18- through 20-years-old, Full Licensing Phase:
-No previous restrictions pertain to this driving phase.
-Cell phone use by drivers under the age of 19 is prohibited.

Researchers are finding that it is when drivers complete the restricted phases of this system that they face an increased risk for a serious car accident. Many believe it's because they're finally handed total freedom behind the wheel and are oftentimes overwhelmed.

"The expectation was that older [teen] drivers wouldn't be affected much one way or the other, so this is a new thing to think about," says Anne McCartt, Ph.D., vice president for research at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

According to The Beacon-News, there were nearly 150 teenagers killed in Illinois as a result of a traffic accident in 2007. Secretary of State Jesse White says that the number of teens that died in 2009 was half that, at less than 75. He continues to stick by his GDL program, saying that the recent increase in the restrictions within the GDL program has helped to drop this number.

Safe driving advocates continue to worry about our young drivers after they graduate from this program. Regardless, parents and guardians need to stay involved in their young driver's time behind the wheel. Keep safe driving as a frequent topic of conversation within your household.

Continue reading "GDL Program Risks for Car Accidents in Illinois for Graduated Drivers?" »

"Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for all Americans ages 5 to 34. And the annual highway death toll costs our nation over $230 billion a year," said Jacqueline Gillan, vice president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. "Too many people are needlessly dying because states have been slow to enact laws to protect teen drivers, keep drunk drivers off our roads and ban the dangerous and deadly practice of texting while driving."

Democratic leaders of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation recently introduced legislation to improve the safety of motor vehicles, to advance traffic safety laws in states and to enhance consumer information, according to Automotive Industry Today. These measures are aimed at reducing the number of fatal car accidents in Chicago and elsewhere. The proposed law is sponsored by Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR), Senator John D. Rockefeller (D-WV). It would fund safety programs and activities of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the federal agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation responsible for auto and traffic safety.

Our Illinois car accident attorneys note the proposed law (the Motor Vehicle and Highway Safety Improvement Act of 2011 (MVHSIA), or Mariah's Law) is named after an Arkansas teen killed in a traffic accident involving a texting driver. It aims to address teen driver licensing, improve motor vehicle safety standards, halt distracted and impaired driving, tighten up child passenger safety regulations and enact safety defect and consumer information reforms.

"As a parent and a lawmaker," said Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), "I want to take every reasonable safety precaution to ensure that our teen drivers are safe and well-prepared for the serious responsibility that comes with getting a license. This legislation will give young drivers better education and more experience before they get out on the roads, keeping us all safer and saving lives."

This proposals include the Safe Teen And Novice Driver Uniform Protection (STANDUP) Act. This is the legislation, introduced by Senator Gillibrand and co-sponsored by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), that includes a $22 million grant program that will be used to encourage states to adopt a number of teen driving laws. The laws will phase in driving privileges as a teen gains more experience at the wheel. For a state to qualify for these grants, it would have to create and enforce laws that would restrict the number of teen passengers that a young driver drive ride with, initiate a ban on cell phone use and limit nighttime driving.

"As the mother of a teenager, I know firsthand how important it is to keep our roads safe," said Senator Klobuchar. "These measures will provide states with effective guidelines to help ensure drivers' safety and prevent risky behavior – especially among teen drivers. I will continue to fight to strengthen protection for drivers and make our roads safer for everyone."

This bill would direct the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration to issue a standard that would ensure the reliability and performance of electronic systems that operate and control vital vehicle safety systems. It would also require the Administration to create some way for consumers to have better access to government information about recalls, defects and other safety-related data. This proposal comes after many lost faith in the current recall system -- many consumers were never notified about malfunctions regarding their vehicle.

"This bill is about saving lives," said Senator Mark Pryor, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Insurance. "We've strengthened programs designed to stop dangerous driving behavior, and we've stepped up vehicle safety so that families are protected by strong safety standards and devices when an accident does occur."

Continue reading "Proposed Motor Vehicle and Highway Safety Legislation Aims to Reduce Car Accidents in Chicago and Elsewhere" »

Back in 1961, death records from motor vehicle accidents reached a record 11-year low of roughly 49 deaths per billion miles traveled on our public roads and peaked in 1966 with 55 deaths per billion miles of travel in 1966.

We've been fortunate enough to see a continuous decrease in these rates and have come to see a death rate as low as roughly 11 deaths per billion miles traveled. We saw this recent low record of deaths resulting from car accidents in Chicago and elsewhere in 2009, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Many credit this decrease to the creation by Congress of the National Highway Safety Bureau, the forerunner of the current National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) back in 1966. In '67 and '68, the first edition of federal motor vehicle safety standards was created.

Our Chicago car accident attorneys understand that these low records are something to celebrate, but we also recognize the need for more motorist participation in safe driving habits if we're going to continue making progress moving forward. Low fatality rates can also result in less attention being paid to safety concerns, or to complacency. As we've reported frequently, much of the reduction in the past few years can be attributed to the economic downturn -- the risk of serious and fatal accidents is expected to rise again with economic recovery.

“This is exciting news, but there are still far too many people dying in traffic accidents,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Drivers need to keep their hands on the steering wheel and their focus on the road in order to stay safe.”

There are a number of other contributors to this decreasing rate besides the federal motor vehicle safety standards. Some would like to show recognition to seat belt laws that some states have enacted, safety advocate groups against drunk driving, the economic downturn, laws banning cell phone use, graduated licensing laws and road improvements.

A large number of people would like to credit the new wave of vehicle crash worthiness tests for the decrease in these fatality rates. These tests began back in 1978 as the NHTSA started the first comparative safety test and released the information to the public. This test and the release of this information caused automakers to begin improvements to their vehicles safety standards.

Other organizations have jumped on the bandwagon and started to rate cars based on their safety features. From this, the IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK was created. This system allow consumers to choose their vehicles based on a safety and performance rating and to determine which vehicles are most likely to keep them safe in the event of an accident.

But where do we go from here?

Many are awaiting new crash avoidance technology, currently available in some new model cars, to take a majority of the risks of an accident out of the driver's hands and into the brain of the car. New technologies like these can help one to avoid collisions, to avoid veering out of a lane and to help stop the car if a driver fails to do so.

Many new vehicles come equipped with side-view assist, turn-by-turn navigation, adaptive headlamps and other features to ease the stress of driving. While these new technologies are meant to help avoid collisions, the IISH reports that these technologies are relevant in nearly 2 million accidents each year and are present in more than 10,000 fatal accidents.

Many safe driving advocates would like to see more road improvements to decrease these rates even more. Many would like to see more roundabouts. Roundabouts are intersection designs that both move more traffic and improve safety. These safe traffic intersections are just beginning to show up in the United States. If is estimated that if just 10 percent of intersections in our county with traffic lights were converted to roundabouts, we would be able to prevent approximately 70,000 accidents each year, with nearly 500 of them fatal.

“This continuing decline in highway deaths is encouraging, but our work is far from over,” said National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator David Strickland. “We want to see those numbers drop further. We will not stop as long as there are still lives lost on our nation’s highways. We must continue our efforts to ensure seat belts are always used and stay focused on reducing distracted and impaired driving.”

According to the NHTSA, fatal traffic accidents in the Unites States in 2009 took the lives of more than 25,000 vehicle occupants and injured another 2.35 million. Illinois saw more than 700 vehicles involved in fatal traffic accidents in 2009 alone. Of all SUVs, pickup trucks, vans, and other forms of vehicle transportation, passenger vehicles, which a majority of us drive, were involved in the greatest number of fatal accidents on out state's roadways.

With all of these advancements in road laws and regulations, car feature upgrades and roadway improvements, the most beneficial and effective way to decrease the number of car accident fatalities and increase the safety of motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists is to focus the attention inward and concentrate on our own driving habits.

Continue reading "Traffic Fatalities Hit Another Low in Chicago and Elsewhere - Now What?" »

Over 20 percent of drivers in the United States, approximately 36.9 million of them, would fail a driving test if they had to take one today, Yahoo news is reporting. This is according to a new survey of motorists nationwide done by GMAC Insurance.

Our Chicago injury lawyers note that this statistic is actually an improvement compared to last year, when 38 million drivers were unfit to be on the road. Nationally this year the average score was 77.9%, compared to 76.2% in 2010. The results indicate that many drivers on the road could have dangerous driving habits, which could in turn lead to a higher number of Illinois traffic collisions.

Here are some of the highlights of the survey:

-85% of the drivers in the survey did not know the proper actions to take while approaching a yellow light;

-75% of motorists did not know safe following distances;

-Drivers in the Midwest scored the highest on the test, while drivers in the Northeast scored the lowest;

-The oldest group of drivers tested, ages 60 to 65, scored the highest on the test at 80.3%;

-Wyoming scored the highest of all states, where more than 95% of drivers passed the test; and

- Of major cities, Washington D.C. fared the worst on the test.

The annual GMAC drivers test was given to 5130 drivers from the 50 states. It's a 20 question exam with questions taken from state department of motor vehicles exams.

As a lawyer that has been handling auto accident claims for many years, I can tell you that the results of this test does not surprise me. Every week I deal with personal injury cases where a driver involved either 1. did not know the rules of the road or 2. failed to obey the rules of the road.

Here are some of the rules that are most often violated:

My office often receives phone calls from drivers who have been injured when they failed to yield the right-of-way to oncoming traffic while making a left turn. They usually have similar excuses, such as the other driver came out of nowhere, or the other driver must have been speeding because otherwise they would have seen them. We always decline these cases. At the same time, we often represent drivers who were injured by motorists who failed to yield while turning left.

Some of the other most common violations I come across would be driving too fast for conditions and following too closely. Usually this rule of the road violation results in the driver rear ending the vehicle in front of them.

Another violation I often deal with, which can be the most deadly, is failing to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. So often motorists in urban areas are busy looking out for the danger of other vehicles, they forget to keep a proper lookout for pedestrians who are defenseless and can be severely injured by even a light impact.

The same can be said for bicycle accidents. In my experience, drivers turning left will often yield to oncoming motor vehicle traffic and forget to pay attention to bicyclists. Or drivers forget to look for bike riders when opening car doors. Even slow speed bike accidents can result in serious trauma.

Continue reading "Study shows Chicago drivers could benefit from reviewing the rules of the road" »

Baby Boomers fuel a new safety system used to help save those involved in a car accident in Chicago and elsewhere in the country.

The Yellow Dot program will now help drivers to alert first responders to vital personal information in the event of a traffic accident. The system will provide authorities with the vital information within the first 60 minutes, often called the "golden hour", after a serious accident, according to USA Today. This time period can make the between life and death for accident victims.

Our Chicago car accident attorneys understand that, as simple as this new system is it is also extremely effective. Here's how it works. Participants in the system will have a yellow dot to put on their rear window. This sticker tells emergency responders that there's a folder in the glove box that is marked with this same yellow dot. This folder should contain a picture of the motorist, prescription information, medical conditions and other necessary information. The free program started in Connecticut in 2002 and is now being used in 27 different countries.

States that are currently using the Yellow Dot programs include Kansas, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Virginia, Alabama and New York. Georgia is currently considering the implementation of the program. While each state relies on a slightly different variation of the system, the main goal in each area is the same -- to save lives.

"It is very nice to see innovative programs to address the unique risks associated with older Americans and car crashes," says Peter Kissinger, president and CEO of AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. "Since older individuals tend to have more medical conditions, are on more medications and are generally more fragile, this sounds like a well-justified program, especially in light of the growing number of older Americans."

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that roughly 10,111,000 passenger vehicles were involved in police-reported traffic accidents in 2009. Of these, nearly 50,500 of them were involved in fatal accidents resulting in an estimated 25,000 deaths. In the same year, a reported 2.35 million vehicle occupants were injured.

Baby boomers will face an even greater risk of injury or death on our roadways. The NHTSA reports that those motorists over the age of 65 saw nearly 5,500 fatalities, and another 187,000 injuries, as a result of traffic accidents in 2009. Motorist fatalities in this age group made up more than 15 percent of all traffic deaths and another 8 percent of all motorist injuries.

Illinois saw nearly 300 fatal traffic accidents with drivers above the age of 55 in 2009.

"It's a promising approach," says Jonathan Adkins, spokesman for the Governors Highway Safety Association. "Actually, this is one of the goals of automated crash notification systems. Eventually, when there is a crash, these key data such as medication needed will automatically be available to EMTs. The Yellow Dot program may be a system that can be helpful in the meantime."

Continue reading "Seeing Yellow Dots? Emergency Info can be a Lifesaver after a Chicago Car Accident" »

The new STANDUP Act is now urging states in the U.S. to adopt Graduated Driver Licensing laws to make sure teens meet specific minimum driving requirements, according to the National Safety Council. The new recommendations aim to help reduce the number of teen car accidents in Chicago and elsewhere in the United States.

Illinois was one of the first states to adopt a graduation driver's licensing program, a move that has been credited with significantly reducing the number of fatal teen car crashes in Illinois each year.

Car accidents remain the number one cause of death for teens. Car accidents take the lives of more teens than the next three leading causes of death combined, which are homicide, suicide and disease. Statistics report that approximately 3,000 teens were killed, and more than 350,000 were injured in accidents involving teen drivers last year.

Our Chicago car accident lawyers understand that teen drivers lack experience and safety knowledge as they possess much less driving time on the road than veteran drivers. It is important for parents and the community to come forward to discuss with teens the responsibilities and possible consequences of making poor driving decisions.

“Teen driving safety has become a national public safety issue,” said Janet Froetscher, president and CEO of the National Safety Council. “Every day, 15 people die in motor vehicle crashes involving teen drivers including teens, their passengers, people in other vehicles and pedestrians. The STANDUP Act encourages states to pass stronger GDL laws, which are proven to reduce teen driving crashes by up to 40 percent.”

States must meet the following requirements under the STANDUP Act:

-Three stages of licensing for these young drivers, including learner’s permits, intermediate stages, and full licensing, should be used.

-Age 16 should be the earliest age at which a teen can begin the permit process.

-Nighttime driving while unsupervised should be restricted, or closely monitored, during the intermediate stages of the learner’s permit until the teen receives their full license at the age of 18.

-Driving while using cell phone, texting, or any other distracting devices should be prohibited, at the very least, until the age of 18.

-Unrestricted, full licensing should not occur before the age of 18.

-Passengers should be restricted. It is suggested that no more than one non-familial passenger that is under age 21 be present in the vehicle unless a licensed driver over the age of 21 is present.

Illinois experienced nearly 150 deaths because of car accidents that involved at least one teen driver in 2009, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers you this parent-teen driving contract to help reach an agreement between you and your child regarding safe driving habits and rules.

Continue reading "New STANDUP Act Aims to Reduce Risks of Teen Car Accidents in Chicago and Elsewhere" »

More than 100 schools statewide were selected to participate in the Operation Teen Safe Driving Program. Schools were asked to use their imagination and creativity to develop programs to help educate their peers about the importance of safe driving.

The Illinois Department of Transportation funds the program along with Ford Motor Company, the Allstate Foundation and Illinois State Police (ISP). This is the fourth year the program has been offered to our Illinois students. The program is offered in our region to help reduce the risks of teen driving accidents in Chicago and the surrounding areas.

Our Chicago car accident lawyers understand the importance of these driving programs as they may have affected the recent decrease in Illinois teen motor-vehicle fatalities. Records show that teen driving fatalities have significantly decreased since the program began back in 2007.

“When I established the Teen Driver Safety Task Force the goal was to improve Illinois’ graduated driver licensing (GDL) law and, even more importantly, to save lives,” said Secretary of State Jesse White. “I am encouraged that teen driving deaths have dropped by 50 percent since the law took effect January 1, 2008. This law, in conjunction with the Operation Teen Safe Driving initiative, is having the intended impact on teen driving safety. My congratulations to the winners as well as to all schools that participated in this important program. Working together, we can save more lives and make Illinois roads safer for all of us.”

Thirty-five schools have been invited to join Ford Motor Company in Springfield for their Driving Skills for Life, “Ride and Drive” events. These events offer hands-on experiences with speed/space management, hazard recognition/accident avoidance and handling/skid control.

Students will be able to jump behind the wheel to complete rigorous driving exercises. In addition to event participation, the top five schools in each of our seven regions will receive cash prizes between $500 and $2,500 to host a post-prom event.

"The proper education of our teen drivers is a crucial component in the short and long term reduction of traffic crash fatalities," said ISP Interim Director Patrick Keen. "The partnerships formed between public and private entities, and the accomplishments achieved by the students in the program, are a testament to the dedication of everyone involved in the Operation Teen Safe Driving program. The ISP is encouraged by the ongoing dialogue and commitment of these young adults who share their time, talents, and energy to promote awareness and safe driving practices."

Car accidents are the leading cause of death in those 15 to 20 years of age. In the U.S., nearly 2,400 young drivers died in car accidents and roughly 196,000 were injured in 2009, showing a 15 percent decrease from 2008. Illinois suffered more than 130 fatalities from car accidents involving young drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 in 2009.

Ford's Driving Skills for Life offers parents with this safe teen driving interactive toolkit to help educate their young drivers on how to travel safer on our roadways.

Continue reading "The Operation Teen Safe Driving Program aims to help reduce risk of Illinois car accidents" »

A professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago has come to the conclusion that red light cameras in the city do not decrease the number of Chicago car accidents. The professor's reasoning was reported today in the Vancouver Sun.

The City of Chicago is claiming that right angle accidents at intersections with red light cameras were reduced by 20%, and that all types of accidents were reduced by 10%. Professor Rajiv Shah seems to agree with that statistic (actually at around a 21% decrease when analyzing traffic trends from 2001 through 2008), but the problem is that accident rates have actually declined all across the City of Chicago, including on freeways, near schools and construction sites, and on city streets.

The professor's theory for the decrease in accidents is that Chicago residents drove around 1 billion less miles in 2008 than they drove in 2002. So his belief is essentially that less miles driven equals less accidents, and therefore read light cameras have not played a significant role in accident reduction.

Shah then analyzed the Illinois Department of Transportation's data for red light cameras installed between 2006 and 2007, and there were some concerning results. He found that the year after the cameras were installed, accidents of all types at those intersections had a 6% increase. He believes that this was due to an increase of rear end accidents at those locations.

In my own personal experience, I can understand the theory. I regularly pass by red light cameras at two intersections on the North Shore of Chicago at Willow Road. I know the cameras are there, and when a light turns yellow I tend to jam on the brakes (and then look in the rearview mirror and hope that I'm not going to get hit from behind). I seem to do this even though I feel it would be safer to go through the intersection.

The article goes on to point out that there is some evidence that red light cameras have led to a decrease in severe Chicago accidents. However, the decrease only adds up to only a 1.5% difference, and the professor feels that this percentage is so small that it is "statistically meaningless". (The Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications compared 10 red light camera intersections to 10 regular intersections and found a 5.3% decrease in severe accidents at red light cameras, as compared to only 3.8% decrease at normal traffic signals).

Shah goes on in the article to give the opinion that in Chicago red light cameras are really all about revenue. In 2009 alone, red light cameras produced over $60 million in fines.

Continue reading "Red light cameras may lead to increase in Chicago auto accidents - that according to Prof. at University of Illinois at Chicago" »

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is accusing the federal government of getting sidetracked by text messaging and runaway Toyotas instead of tackling the tough work of forcing the auto industry to incorporate better safety technology into vehicles, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Our Chicago accident attorneys have reported exhaustively, both here and on our sister site Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, regarding the efforts by the government to combat text messaging and cell phone use by drivers.

The Toyota recall issues was well-documented, if not drastically overplayed, throughout the spring and summer months.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration blames 6,000 deaths and 500,000 injuries a year on distracted driving. However, about 34,000 deaths -- or 100 deaths a day -- occur on the nation's roads. Traffic crashes remain the number one cause of accidental death in the United States.

"There's nothing rational about the way we set highway safety priorities," said Institute President Adrian Lund in the organization's August Status Report. the IIHS is the safety and advocacy arm of the insurance industry. "You'd think from the media coverage, congressional hearings, and the U.S. Department of Transportation's focus in recent months that separating drivers from their phones would all but solve the public-health problem of crash deaths and injuries -- It won't."

Naturally, the U.S. Department of Transportation took exception to the Institute's position in a response published in the Wall Street Journal.

"Safety is the Department of Transportation's number one priority, which is why we are aggressively and urgently tackling a number of risks to drivers' safety," the DOT's statement said. "We are going to continue taking drunk drivers off the road, getting people to put down their phones and other distractions, making sure cars and trucks are safe to drive, and doing whatever else is necessary to keep Americans safe behind the wheel."

Whether the government has overemphasized Toyota defects and the dangers of text messaging is debatable. However, the NHTSA has yet to release traffic accident statistics from last year, which usually occurs by mid-summer. The NHTSA is the arm that has taken a lead role in both issues.

Continue reading "Chicago car accidents caused by more than distracted driving and runaway Toyotas" »

Illinois recorded the fewest traffic fatalities since 1923, according to an exhaustive report on 2008 traffic fatalities released by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

The Chicago car accident attorneys and the Chicago injury lawyers at Abels & Annes are taking a look at the report in a series of blog here at our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog and our sister site, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog.

"We believe these reductions are evident that Illinois' traffic safety efforts are working," Gov. Pat Quinn said.

While the statistics are encouraging, the simple fact remains that traffic fatalities are a leading killer both in Illinois and nationwide. For most of us, riding in a motor vehicle is the most dangerous activity in our lives.

In 2008, 1,043 people were killed and more than 94,000 injured in Illinois traffic accidents, the vast majority occurred in an around Chicago. But, perhaps because of the poor economy, fewer motorists were on the road: the state reported a 1.6 percent decrease in traffic.

Highlights of "2008 Illinois Crash Facts and Statistics"

Cost
-Total estimated cost of Illinois traffic accidents in 2008 was $6.2 billion
-Each fatality was estimated to cost $1.2 million
-An incapacitating injury was estimated to cost $67,500
-A nonincapacitating injury was estimated to cost $21,800
-A property damage crash was estimated to cost $7,800

Fatal
-1,043 people were killed in 950 fatal Illinois crashes in 2008
-There was an average of 1.1 deaths per fatal crash
-25.2 percent of fatal crashes occurred at intersections
-74.2 percent of fatal crashes occurred on dry roads
-48.2 percent of fatal crashes occurred during daylight hours
-55.7 percent of fatal crashes occurred on urban roads
-29.8 percent of fatal crashes occurred with a fixed object

Alcohol
-44 percent of fatally injured drivers who were tested, tested positive for alcohol
-49.3 percent of fatally injured drivers ages 16 to 24 who were tested, tested positive for alcohol

Pedestrian Accidents
-135 pedestrians were killed in 2008 and 5,423 were injured
-About 9 percent were under 15 years old
-About 15 percent were over the age of 65
-About 40 percent had a positive blood-alcohol content

Motorcycle Accidents
-There were 4,901 motorcycle crashes in 2008, though the number of fatalities decreased by 14 percent

School Bus Accidents
-No school bus passengers were killed; 123 were injured
-No school bus drivers were killed;99 were injured

Tractor Trailer Accidents
-115 people were killed in semi accidents
-5 of the persons killed were truck drivers while 99 were occupants of another vehicle

Train Accidents
-38.5 percent of fatal train crashes happened at crossings with gates
-53.8 percent happened at crossings with control devices other than gates, including flashers and warning signs

Work Zone Accidents
-There were 31 fatal crashes in work zones in 2008 in which 31 people were killed
-Two of the persons killed were road construction workers

Deer
-There were 24,209 crashes involving deer
-Two deer crashes involved fatalities

If you or someone you love has been injured or killed in an accident, call the Chicago injury lawyers and Illinois wrongful death attorneys at Abels & Annes for a free appointment to discuss your rights. Call (866) 99-ABELS. There is no fee unless you win.

Setting clear driving safety rules for your teenage driver and not giving them their own vehicle can reduce the chances of your child being involved in a serious or fatal car accident.

Those findings were the result of two studies funded by State Farm Insurance Co. and conducted by researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

The Chicago car accident lawyers and child injury attorneys at Abels & Annes urge parents to talk frequently with their children about driving safety. Automobile accidents are the No. 1 cause of death for teenagers ages 15 to 19, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

According to the Associated Press, results of the most recent studies, released Friday and published in the October issue of Pediatrics, show talking frequently with your teenager about driving safety and not allowing teenagers free access to their own vehicle can help prevent some of the 5,000 teenage road fatalities each year.

One in every 7 fatal accidents in the United States involves a teenager and fatal traffic accidents account for 40 percent of all teenage deaths. Another 250,000 teenagers are seriously injured each year in automobile accidents.

"With teen drivers, you have to recognize that it's a public health issue," said Dr. Jeffrey Weiss, a Phoenix pediatrician who co-wrote an American Academy of Pediatrics report on teen drivers.

The research is based on a nationally representative survey of more than 5,500 teens in grades nine through 11.

More than 2,000 students who reported driving on their own were the focus of one study; 70 percent said they had their own cars or were the main drivers of cars they used.

Dr. Flaura Koplin Winston, the lead researcher in one of the studies, said it's alarming that so many kids have their own cars or feel that they have free use of one. She said that freedom can lead to "a sense of entitlement about driving" that may make them less cautious.

Among these drivers, 1 in 4 had been involved in crashes, versus just 1 in 10 of teens who shared access to a vehicle.

Kids who said their parents set clear driving rules and monitored their whereabouts had half as many crashes and better driving habits. These teens were 71 percent less likely to drink and drive and 30 percent less likely to use a cell phone while driving than kids with parents who were uninvolved in their driving habits.

Dr. Niranjan Karnik, a University of Chicago specialist in adolescent mental health, said the research underscores the importance of active parenting and graduated licensing laws for teens.

The AAA Foundation has resources for safe teen driving, which can be accessed at www.teendriving.com.

The Chicago car accident attorneys recently wrote about Illinois' Operation Teen Safe Driving, which also offers resources for teenagers and their parents.

Continue reading "Talking safe driving with your teenager, reducing vehicle access, can reduce risk of serious car accident" »

Illinois Car Accident Attorneys from Abels & Annes have resolved an injury claim for a Bartlett woman who was injured in a 2007 accident. The crash occurred at Aurora Avenue and Indian Trail in Aurora, Illinois when the defendant was Southbound on Aurora Avenue and his foot slipped off of the brake and struck a vehicle, knocking said vehicle into our client's car. My client was hit from the rear. After the first impact, the defendant lost control again and the plaintiff for a second time.

Shortly after the collision the plaintiff had pain and discomfort in her neck and left hand, with complaints of dizziness. That evening her pain increased and she had difficulty sleeping.

The pain did not resolve on it’s own and she sought medical care at Saint Alexius Medical Center on 3/24/07 with the abovementioned complaints. A history was taken and our client was examined. X-rays were ordered and pain medicine was prescribed. The x-rays indicated cervical muscle spasms. The ER doctor diagnosed her with cervical strain.

Over the next several days her pain remained and she sought treatment with a medical doctor. When she saw the doctor she had complaints of neck pain and she was examined and the X-rays from the ER were reviewed. The doctor recommended to her that she seek chiropractic treatment if her pain remained.

Over the next week her pain increased. On 4/19/07 she sought treatment with a chiropractor. At that time she had complaints of neck pain, back pain, headaches, dizziness, ear ringing, and numbness in her right big toe. She said her pain was 8 on a scale of 10. The doctor examined her, reviewed the x-rays, and prescribed a course of physical therapy. She was diagnosed at that time with cervical strain/sprain, cervicocranial syndrome, dorsal sprain/strain, dizziness, and sprain/strain of the great toe.

Over the next 2 months the plaintiff went to physical therapy on twenty-three occasions. The therapy consisted of chiropractic adjustments and manipulation, electric stimulation, heat treatment, electrodes, myofacial release, massage, and manual traction.

On 6/25/07 my client was discharged from therapy, however, at that time the doctor noted that the client was still having neck and back pain, headaches, and numbness of the great toe of the right foot. He advised her to return if her condition should exacerbate.

The case settled for $14,000. Nationwide Insurance paid on the claim.

In a relatively rare bit of good news for Detroit, a traffic safety group announced recently that it rated 72 model-year 2009 vehicles as “Top Safety Picks.” The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, an insurance-industry research group, rates brand-new cars each year according to how well they protect passengers in front, side and rear impacts. The press release announcing this year’s picks noted that the 72 models that made the cut this year are more than twice as many as the 2008 crop, and nearly three times the number with the top rating in 2007.

To qualify as a top safety pick, cars, trucks and SUVs must have electronic stability control as a standard or optional feature. Electronic stability control uses computers to automatically detect skids and correct steering by applying brakes in a way that sends the vehicle where the driver is trying to go. Vehicles also must get top scores in IIHS crash tests for front, side and rear impacts, taking into account the availability of safety features like side curtain airbags and correctly designed head restraints. Frontal-impact crash tests are conducted at 40 mph; side crash tests at 31 mph; and rear crash tests measure force on the neck during a 20-mph rear-end accident.

As an Illinois car accident lawyer, I’m interested in vehicle safety ratings in part because not every vehicle deserves an A. Substantial safety defects in new cars (and older ones) are more common than you might think. You may remember the Bridgestone/Firestone tire recall about a decade ago, which affected hundreds of thousands of cars and trucks; those tires are actually blamed for multiple deaths from tire blowouts that caused drivers to lose control at high speeds. Other dangerous flaws in vehicles include improperly attached seatbelts; SUVs and vans prone to rollover accidents; and improperly placed fuel tanks that can burst into flames.

Most accidents are caused by human error -- but even the safest driver in the world isn’t safe when vehicles or their parts have flaws. When a safety flaw in a car causes (or contributes to) a serious auto accident, manufacturers can and should be held legally responsible for the results. A Chicago car accident lawsuit can help victims cover medical bills and other costs of the accident, and compensate them for a serious injury or disability and their pain and suffering. If you’d like to learn more about holding automakers responsible for the safety flaws they leave in their vehicles, please contact Abels & Annes today for a free consultation.

A new study weighs in on an ongoing debate: Is talking on a cell phone truly more distracting than talking to someone in the car with you? According to researchers at the University of Utah, the answer seems to be yes. The study, published Dec. 1 in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, asked drivers ages 18 to 26 to chat while they used a sophisticated highway driving simulator. They were asked to tell a friend -- either over the phone or in the “car” -- about a life-threatening situation they’d been in. A control group of drivers not talking at all was also included.

The study found that drivers talking on the phone were four times more likely to miss their exit than drivers talking to a live human in the next seat. About half of the subjects talking on a hands-free phone missed their “highway” exit, while just one-eighth of the drivers talking to a traveling companion missed it. Drivers on the phone were also more likely to drift from their lanes and leave too much following distance between them and the vehicles in front of them. Interestingly, the study found no substantial difference in the driving of people talking to passengers and people not talking at all.

The researchers had several possible explanations for their results. One is “inattention blindness,” a phenomenon in which the brain’s ability to process visual information is actually reduced while the person is talking on the phone or distracted by another abstract task. Another explanation is that passengers in the vehicle can help drivers concentrate by steering or changing the conversation in response to events on the road. In fact, the study found that passengers did talk about traffic with the drivers. It also found that drivers on the phone tended to change the complexity of their sentences and talk more when driving tasks became difficult. Researchers speculated that this might be an attempt to control the conversation, so they didn’t have to pay close attention to it.

I found this study especially interesting in light of the city of Chicago’s 2005 law restricting drivers to hands-free talking only while driving. This is not the first study connecting cell phone use to poor driving, but these rules remain controversial. I sympathize with concerns about freedom, but I believe safety should be the most important consideration. As a Chicago car accident lawyer, I frequently see how physically, financially and emotionally devastating a serious car crash can be. Many of our clients come to us after a death in the family or a serious injury and hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills, all caused by someone else’s careless driving (with or without a phone involved).

If you’ve been hurt or lost someone in a serious Chicago auto accident, please contact us today to learn more about filing an Illinois auto accident lawsuit.

According to new federal statistics, your risk of being involved in a fatal traffic accident just got lower. In November, the federal Department of Transportation reported that traffic fatalities actually went down for most groups between 2006 and 2007. The new numbers come from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the federal agency responsible for tracking and preventing auto accidents, through its latest collection of Traffic Safety Facts. These factsheets use data compiled from more than 40,000 crashes around the United States in one calendar year to present crash and fatality rates for specific groups. Groups covered include occupants of cars, large trucks and motorcycles, pedestrians, cyclists, older people and children.

The NHTSA’s research has good news for almost all of those groups. Nearly every group has seen a drop in fatal accidents. Between 2006 and 2007, fatal accidents affecting pedestrians dropped by 2.9%; bicyclists and other cyclists, 9.5%; and large commercial trucks, 3.8%. Among children 14 and younger, there was a 6.9% decrease in fatalities in all types of traffic accident; among drivers 65 and older, the decrease was 1.6%. While the factsheet for auto accidents is still on its way, a preliminary report published in August says accidents among passenger cars, trucks and SUVs dropped by 5.7%, which includes a 7.8% drop in fatal accidents involving just cars. Unfortunately, Illinois alone saw a negligible 0.4% drop in fatal accidents.

The major exception was motorcycle riders and their passengers. (The NHTSA includes riders of scooters and mopeds in its motorcycle statistics.) Motorcyclists actually saw a 7% increase in fatalities between 2006 and 2007. In fact, this reflects a steady climb in motorcycle fatalities over the last decade. The factsheet doesn’t say why this might be, but a separate report (PDF) by the NHTSA shows that more motorcycles are being registered, new motorcycles are likely to be larger, and that the rate of brand-new riders over 40 jumped by more than 200% during the past decade. The report doesn’t speculate on how these facts might influence accident rates, but they’re certainly something for older motorcyclists to consider.

Here in Illinois, 2006 statistics show that we’re fairly good drivers, with our overall fatality rates below the national average and below neighboring states’ rates. But even one traffic fatality is a death that could have been avoided if someone involved had taken a little more care. If you’ve been hurt or lost a loved one in a traffic accident that was someone else’s fault, you have the right to hold that person responsible for the results. In an Illinois car accident lawsuit, you can win money to pay medical bills, repair costs and other financial costs of the accident, as well as financial compensation for intangible but very real injuries like a disability that will forever change your life. If you’d like to learn more, Abels & Annes can help at a free consultation. To speak with one of our experienced Chicago car accident lawyers today, please contact us through our Web site or call (312) 399-8988.