Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog

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.

A Tuesday morning Chicago bus accident on the city's Southwest Side, injured 10 passengers and the driver, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

The Chicago Transit Authority bus was a northbound Ashland Express bus that reportedly struck a light pole on the 2500 block of South Ashland Avenue at about 7:30 a.m., the Chicago Fire Department reported. The accident injured 10 passengers and the driver. Two were in serious condition, eight were in fair condition and one was reported in good condition.

The Chicago Breaking News Center reported as many as 10 ambulances responded to the bus accident. The Transit Authority is investigating, however the cause of the accident has not been reported.

According to the Center for National Truck and Bus Statistics at the University of Michigan, more than 300 fatal bus accidents occur each year in the United States. A recent study in 2006 found 9 fatalities in Illinois, including 5 transit busing deaths and two deaths as the result of a school bus accident.

That same year, busing accidents also killed 89 pedestrians and 12 bicyclists.

A suburban Chicago man recently died in a crash with a school bus full of college students from the University of Wisconsin at Madison on Dec. 6. According to the Wisconsin State Journal, the chartered bus was taking 17 students from UW’s German Club home from Chicago’s Chirstkindlmarket, traveling along Interstate 90 just outside Chicago. A sedan entered the highway, immediately veered across traffic lanes and ended up sideways in the path of the bus. The crash killed the driver instantly, the article said. Luckily, no one on the bus was seriously hurt and no other vehicles were involved.

The article doesn’t give a cause for the accident, but given the description of the accident and details in the article, weather looks like an important factor. Unfortunately, Illinois has seen several weather-related traffic deaths in the last few weeks, including one that killed two elderly parishioners from an Edgewater church. Life must go on even when the roads are snowy or icy, but drivers should be aware of the danger. The Illinois Department of Transportation maintains a page with tips for safe winter driving.

As a Chicago bus accident lawyer, I happen to know that bus accidents are statistically rare. According to research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, buses were involved in just 0.5% of all accidents in 2006; only “other vehicles,” such as motor homes and tractors, have lower accident rates. The numbers for intercity buses are even lower -- 0.1% of fatal crashes. Part of this may be because buses are driven by professionals with special licenses, which means drivers have special training. They are also generally at work when they drive, which gives almost everyone an incentive to behave better than they might when driving on their own time.

However, that’s not to say that bus accidents aren’t very serious. Basic physics means that a bus is likely to seriously hurt a smaller car and its driver in an accident, especially one at highway speeds. Furthermore, the lack of seat belts or other safety technology on most buses may put bus passengers at risk as well. In some cases, this can translate to serious injuries -- head injuries, broken bones, spinal damage or even death. At Abels & Annes, our Illinois auto accident lawyers handle accidents with buses -- school buses, transit and charter -- as well as more the common traffic accidents with cars, trucks, SUVs and motorcycles. If you or someone you love has been hurt in this type of accident and you believe it was caused by someone else’s negligence, please contact Abels & Annes today for a free consultation.