New Red Light Cameras Added To Michigan Avenue In Downtown Chicago

Chicago’s busiest shopping district is the home of four (4) new red light cameras. The cameras were installed at North Michigan Avenue and East Ontario Street and South Michigan Avenue and East Jackson Boulevard.

The cameras will start ticketing drivers who run red lights starting on February 4. As I have written numerous times in the past, the red light cameras have undergone intense scrutiny. Class action lawsuits have been filed due to the effectiveness of the cameras and also based on the fraudulent circumstances the initial company the city used to install the cameras. Academic studies have been performed, which have concluded that the light have an overall neutral safety effect. In other words, they don’t actually reduce the number of accidents. The general public and media outlets have argued that the cameras are merely a money maker.

Regardless, despite all the controversy, the city is standing by the safety aspects touted by these cameras.   “I think over time you’re going to see more cameras placed downtown because we have a lot of (car) accidents, a lot of pedestrians issues, we have a lot of bike issues that are growing,” said Ald. Anthony Beale (9th Ward). “And so, this is the first step towards revamping the entire system.”

If one of these t cameras catch you driving through a red light, you will receive a $100.00 ticket. These tickets are not considered moving violations and will not affect your driving record.

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

Toronto Blue Jays Latest MLB Team To Extend Protective Netting Behind Home Plate

I have written in the past about several major league baseball franchises extending the netting behind home plate in an attempt to protect fans from foul tips and broken bats. According to ESPN, the Toronto Blue Jays are extending the protective netting at Rogers Centre to the outfield end of each dugout this season and increasing the height of netting behind home plate by approximately 10 feet, to 28 feet. Ten other franchises have previously extended the netting in recent seasons and Toronto is one of eleven other teams to announce the extensions for the 2018 season.

It is interesting to see this move by major league baseball. As I have written in the past, when a fan buys a ticket to a major league game, the ticket includes a waiver that exempts the teams from liability due to injuries from errant balls and bats flying into the stands. This also includes a flying hot dog that injured a man’s eye at a Kansas City Royals game several years back. A Missouri appeals court concluded that this waiver of liability included an errant hot dog that flew from a launcher sent out to fans that injured a man.

At a 2016 game in Tampa, who had also recently extended their nets, a foul tip actually flew through the netting and injured a fan. It is unclear whether a lawsuit was filed in that case, but I believe it could have been argued that the Tampa organization could have been held liable because they actually created the dangerous condition by not providing a sufficient protection when the ball flew through the net. Or in the alternative could argue that the netting was defective.

Regardless, it is encouraging to see a majority of the major league baseball teams take necessary steps to protect their fans.

If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in Chicago personal injury accident or a Chicago workers compensation accident, then please call Chicago accident attorney, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

Niles, IL Police Department Initiate “No Texting Tuesdays”

There has been a statewide ban on texting and driving in Illinois for the past several years. Most towns and cities around the state, including Niles, have their own local ordinance banning the practice. The question remains is how vigilant police departments are in enforcing the laws. Niles, a suburb of Chicago, decided in late 2017 to make a concerted effort to crack down cell phone use by drivers, when the initiated “no texting Tuesday’s.”

Niles police department decided to dedicate one day a week towards cracking down on texting drivers. The tickets they issue include a $100.00 fine, but they are not considered a moving violation and do not affect a person’s driving record.

I applaud this move by the Niles police department as it is clear they are taking the issue seriously. The problem with distracted drivers, in my eyes, is that despite the state law and local ordinances, this problem is not going away. According to the National Safety Council of Distracted Driving causes about 1.6 million crashes per year and those crashes cause about 330,000 injuries. They say one in every four accidents is caused by texting.  As I have written multiple times in the past, without harsher penalties, drivers will not be motivated to put their phones down. I think we need higher fines, and at least, consideration of making it a moving violation where the driving record can be affected.

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