Tag Archives: Illinois truck accident

New Illinois Traffic Laws For 2024

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The Illinois legislature was very active in 2023 introducing eight (8) new traffic laws that became active in January of 2024. Below is a breakdown of each new bill:

  1. HB 2431: Videoconferencing while driving will now be prohibited.
  2. HB 2582: Motorcycle licenses will no longer be offered to residents under the age of 18, with specific exceptions.
  3. HB 3876: Residents of Illinois who buy vehicles in another state must apply for registration and certificate of title no less than 45 days after the purchase of the vehicle.
  4. SB 0896: Auxiliary lighting on motorcycles may not emit blue lights. Auxiliary lights may only emit red light if they are actively braking.
  5. SB 1251: Operators of ambulances or other rescue vehicles must have specified training in the operation of that vehicle. In municipalities with population of under one million residents, sirens and lamps must be in operation at all times when pedestrians and other drivers are present, and when that vehicle has been called to a bona fide emergency or has been directed to disregard traffic laws in the operation of the vehicle. The ambulance must also slow down at red lights to achieve safe operation.
  6. SB 1526: The Department of Transportation must develop a mobile app that provides motorists with updated travel conditions.
  7. SB 1653: The Department of Transportation and local authorities must institute a pilot program to erect and maintain hazard bars, or visual signs and additional signage, for all viaducts and underpasses with a clearance of less than 15 feet. Hazard bars must hang at the same clearance level as the viaduct or underpass, and be located at least 500 feet in front of them.
  8. SB 2028: Requires best practices on stranded motorists to be included in Illinois Rules of the Road publications.

I think the most important new law is HB 2431 which outlaws videoconferencing wile driving. This would include facetime, zoom, webex or any other type of face to face calls while driving. This is an incredibly dangerous activity and it should not have taken this long to be enacted. Let’s hope our local and state law enforcements aggressively enforce this new law and will lead to less Illinois car accidents.

If you or a loved one has been serously injured in a Chicago car crash or Illinois truck accident, then call Chicago injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

“Rebuild Illinois” Infrastructure Projects Underway In Champaign County

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I think it’s fair to say that most driver’s troughout Illinois are tired of crumbling roads. They are sick of potholes. They are frightened of old rickety bridges. If you drive on I-55 from Chicago to Springfield and all the way to St. Louis, there are sections of that highway that are completey unsafe. The same can be said for I-57. Hopefully these complaints will be coming to an end as Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s infrastructure planned titled “Rebuild Illinois” is taking affect. WCIA recently reported nine projects are either underway or scheduled to start soon throughout Champaign County.

Rebuild Illinois, which was signed into law three years ago by Governor Pritzker is supposed to be an answer to the old roads and bridges throughout the state. Rebuild Illinois is a $45 billion investments in roads, bridges, railroads, universities, early childhood centers and state facilities over six years.

Below are a list of projects in Champaign County, which cost total about $270 million:

  • Interstate 74 bridges over Canadian National Railroad and Market Street in Champaign: Deck repairs began in August of 2020 and are expected to finish this fall. Two lanes of traffic remain open in each direction.
  • Interstate 74 west of St. Joseph: Bridge deck repairs are underway and are expected to be complete in December. There are permanent lane closures with a barrier wall.
  • U.S. Route 150 from County Road 2350 E in St. Joseph to the Vermilion County line: Road resurfacing began this month and will end in September. Intermittent lane closures will occur every day of the project.
  • Interstate 57 from Rantoul to Thomasboro: Resurfacing began this month and will end in December. Daily lane closures will occur.
  • Interstate 57 from Rantoul to the Ford County line: Resurfacing begins in August and will continue into next summer. Daily lane closures will occur.
  • U.S. Route 45 from Saline Branch Ditch to just north of Olympian Drive: Installation of new shoulders and rumble strips will begin in July and will be complete in September. Intermittent lane closures will occur every day of the project.
  • Intersection of U.S. Route 150 and Illinois Route 49 in Ogden: Drainage improvements will begin in August and will end in December. Intermittent lane closures will occur every day of the project.

These projects to repair roads and bridges are incredibly important to the state. They create a safer driving experience for everyone. Hopefully the safer roads and bridges will lead to less traffic accidents and traffic fatalities. An addded bonus is that Rebuild Illinois is also creating thousands of well paying jobs.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a Chicago car crash or Illinois truck accident, then call Illinois personal injury lawyer, Aaron Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

Central Illinois Traffic Fatalities Up In 2021

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I wrote about Illinois traffic death rate for 2020 a few weeks back. It surprisingly showed an increase in traffic fatalities despite the pandemic and periodic shutdowns around the state. The Illinois Department of Transportation (“IDOT”) release numbers for 2021, which shows that traffic deaths are down overall for the state, but certain counties have actually seen an increase so far this year. There were almost 1,195 traffic related fatalities in Illinois in 2020. To date that number sits at 932.

Shelby County is up two deaths, Christian County is up three, Tazewell and Montgomery counties are both up four, and Effingham County has five more deaths than last year. IDOT says this data includes everyone who was killed inside a car itself, and any pedestrians or cyclists that also may have been killed because of an accident.

You can click here to view IDOT’s data in a snapshot.

It’s unclear why the numbers have jumped in that part of the state. Traffic experts are convinced that the 2020 increase in Illinois was due to more risky driving behavior. Some drivers assumed they could drive at dangerous rates of speed because so few vehicles were out on the road. It’s unclear what is going on in these counties. It could be an anomaly. I think we’ll have to take a look at all of the numbers at the end of the year.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a Chicago car crash or an Illinois truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

Illinois State Police Cracking Down on DUIs During Summer Months

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Summer is finally here and there is more traffic out on the roads than any other time of year. This is especially true over holiday weekends like Memorial Day and Fourth of July. According to a dui attorney, the Illinois State Police and over 160 local law enforcement agencies are planning ahead to prepare for all the drivers on the road and launching “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” and “Click It or Ticket” campaigns.

Both of these traffic safety campaigns are made possible by federal traffic safety funds administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation. The crackdown runs concurrently with a media campaign reminding motorists that impaired driving has “Life or Death” consequences, so be sure to think before getting behind the wheel drunk.  The safety campaign will run June 17 through July 8 to encompass three summer weekends leading up to and after Independence Day. The Illinois State Police and local police departments have issued the following tips to help make the roads safer, and ultimately save lives:

  • Give your designated driver your keys before you go out.
  • If you are drunk or impaired by marijuana or other drugs, call a taxi, take mass transit, use your favorite ride-sharing service, or call a sober friend or family member to get you home safely.
  • Promptly report drunk drivers to law enforcement by pulling over and dialing 911.
  • Make sure everyone in your vehicle wears their seat belt. Not only is it the law, it’s your best defense against an impaired driver.

There will be a lot more police officers on the roads the next few weeks. This should not be the only reason to be careful before getting behind the wheel. More importantly, you can save the lives of those in your vehicle and the vehicles around you by deciding not to drink and drive.

If you or loved one have been seriously injured in an Illinois truck accident or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant at 312-614-1076 for a free legal consultation.

Arlington Heights Police Department Wins Illinois Traffic Safety Challenge

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The Chicago Tribune reported this week that the police department from  Suburban Chicago town of Arlington Heights won the award for the top traffic safety department in the state. The competition rates police departments across the state on their effectiveness in targeting three key traffic safety issues, including speeding, impaired driving and occupant protection.

Arlington Heights submission into this contest included a detailed analysis of traffic crash data and what they are doing to combat the areas most prone to car accidents.  To combat the high rate of traffic crashes at particular locations, Arlington Heights police commander, Greg Czernecki,  described as “overt and covert” strategies, including assigning additional officers to patrol the area. “If there is a high-visibility enforcement where drivers see we are pulling people over, they might think twice before speeding in the area the next time they pass by,” Czernecki said. The department’s traffic safety efforts also include ensuring drivers and passengers are properly using seat belts, looking for impaired drivers and cracking down on distracted drivers, Czarnecki said.

Czernecki also said that combating cell phone use by drivers has been a  focus by their department. He said that 6,000 drivers have been issued citations since the state law against using a cell phone behind the wheel took effect on Jan. 1, 2014.

Congratulations to the Arlington Height Police Department on their success in promoting and enforcing traffic safety and for their award.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in an Illinois car accident or Illinois truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

Illinois State Police Enforcement Effort Leads To Nearly 6,000 Traffic Citations Memorial Day Weekend

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CBS Chicago reported recently that the Illinois State Police’s (“ISP”) effort to crack down on traffic violations over the busy Memorial Day Weekend led to 5,924 traffic citations and 5,206 written.

Illinois State Troopers efforts included 109 drunk driving arrests and 815 seat belt citations.  ISP also provided assistance to approximately 1,300 stranded motorists. “I am very proud of the hard work displayed by the men and women of the Illinois State Police,” said ISP Director Leo Schmitz. “I am confident their enforcement efforts resulted in lives being saved.”

I think these numbers are encouraging, especially as it was predicted that this year would be one of the busiest traffic weekends of the year. Regardless, I would like to see how many of those citations were for distracted driving. Also, I would like to see the Illinois accident numbers compared to those over the last five (5) years. I think this would provide us some context as to whether the ISP’s enforcement efforts are actually reducing the number of traffic accidents.

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in an Illinois car crash or Illinois truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

Changes Coming to Dangerous Lake County Intersection

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According to the Lake County News-Sun, the intersection of Grand Avenue and Hunt Club Road could be seeing changes, as it is viewed as one of the most dangerous intersections in the county. The Lake County Board approved a $370,173 contract with Chicago-based Stanley Consultants to conduct a preliminary engineering study to identify potential safety improvements at the intersection.

Car accident statistics  show 127 vehicle collisions at Grand and Hunt Club between 2011 and 2013. Of those, 75 were of the rear-end variety, while the next most frequent type was 33 collisions during turns. The remainder included 11 sideswipes, four collisions with fixed objects like roadside signs, two collisions at angles and one rollover accident. The consulting engineers “will review the crash data and summarize crashes by year and major type to define trends and roadway deficiencies at each of the above intersections. Areas experiencing significant crash rates will be investigated so that countermeasures can be recommended.”

The report stated that the most likely change will involve a designated left turn signal for north and south bound drivers turning from Grand onto Hunt Club. There will likely be construction in the area, but there is plenty of vacant land in the area, which can accommodate an expansion of lanes.

If you someone you love has been seriously injured in an Illinois car crash or Illinois truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.