Category Archives: IDOT

Winter Weather Is Finally Here

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It took quite a while, but winter weather has finally hit Chicago and most of the Midwest. Six inches of snow hit the ground last week, quickly melted away, and another batch fell yesterday and last night. Driving in the snow and ice can be treacherous and – – if not careful – – can lead to a serious car accident. The Illinois Department of Transportation’s (IDOT) website provided a comprehensive checklist for drivers to be aware of when driving through ice and snow. Below is the list of tips.

·  In RAIN, FOG, SNOW
or SLEET, do not overdrive your headlights.
·  Stay within the
limits of your vision.
·  Keep your windows
clear of snow and ice. Do not start until your windshield is defrosted.
·  Drive slower and
increase your following distance. Your speed should be adjusted for the
conditions and match the flow of traffic.
·  Roadway conditions
may vary depending on the sun, shade or roadway surface. Watch for slick spots
especially under bridges, on overpasses and in shaded spots. Be prepared to
react physically and mentally. 
·  If the pavement is
snow or ice covered, start slowly and brake gently. Begin braking early when you
come to an intersection.
·  If you start to
slide, ease off the gas pedal or brakes. Steer into the direction of the skid
until you feel you have regained traction then straighten your vehicle.
·  When you approach a
snow plow from behind, pass with care and only when you can see the road
ahead of the plow. You should not try to pass in blowing snow. There may be a
vehicle in that cloud of snow! Allow more distance between you and the plow,
they may be spreading salt.
·  Be alert when you
approach a cloud of snow which covers the road, especially on passing lanes of
interstates or freeways. Slow down and approach with caution. A snow plow may
be at work clearing the lane or preparing to turn around.
·  Be careful after a
minor rear end accident. If you are bumped from behind and you do not feel
comfortable exiting your vehicle, motion the other driver and drive to the
nearest police station, 24-hour store, service.

Most important, always remember to buckle up, even if you are in the back seat as Illinois now requires all passenger to wear their seat belts.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury attorney Aaron Bryant for a free consultation at 312-588-3384 or go to the firm website at www.blgchicago.com.
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IDOT Launches “Drive Sober Or Get Pulled Over” Program For Labor Day Weekend

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The Illinois Department of Transportation’s (IDOT), the Illinois State Police and local law enforcement agencies together organized wet lab demonstrations in Chicago and 5 other cities across Illinois.  The events occurred as the 2011 “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” Labor Day campaign enters its second week of stepped-up impaired driving enforcement. The wet lab tests were performed to show alchohol’s effect on drivers.

A wet lab occurs in a controlled environment in which a person consumes alcohol to a level of 0.08 BAC (the limit in Illinois).  This allows observation of the real-life effects of impairment and the significant effects of alcohol on a person’s motor skills.  Volunteer participants in today’s events attempted Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs) administered by police officers to show what happens in an actual Driving Under the Influence (DUI) arrest.  In addition, the drinking subjects showed how a vehicle equipped with a Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device (BAIID) will not start when an impaired person attempts to drive.

The SFSTs are a sequence of three tests administered and evaluated in a standardized manner to obtain indicators of impairment as it relates to a DUI charge.  The tests are administered systematically and are evaluated according to measured responses of the suspect.

“Illinois State Police want motorists to arrive at their final destinations safely during the holiday weekend and will be targeting designated areas looking for speeders, seatbelt violators, distracted drivers, and DUI offenders ,” said ISP Director Hiram Grau.  “These are the Fatal 4 violations ISP will be enforcing during the holiday weekend.  Violating any of these laws can result in fines and possible jail time and will be treated as criminal acts by the police and court system,” he added.

It will be interesting to see the final arrest numbers around the state and also the number of alcohol related car accidents during this crackdown. If there are an abnormally high number of arrests, will this be because of the increased number of police on patrol?  Or will the numbers of arrests and/or car accidents be higher due to the holiday weekend? I think it is critical to look at the numbers a little deeper rather than take them at face value when determing the programs effectiveness. Regardless, this will be positive if there are a lower number of auto accidents than the typical labor day weekend.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago accident attorney, Aaron Bryant, for a free consultation at 312-588-3384 or go to the firm website at www.blgchicago.com.

2011 Safe Drivers Act Introduced In Congress

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I have written many times in the past about the dangers of cell phone use while driving. These dangers including talking on your cell phone, texting, emailing or surfing the internet. Up to this point, the U.S. Congress has left it up to states to regulate their distracted driving laws.

This could change shortly as Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., has introduced legislation that would federalize driving and cell phone usage, laws that are currently managed by individual states. [1] Under the proposed legislation, the bill would direct the U.S. Department of Transportation to set up a nationwide standard, prohibiting cell phone use while driving. The lone exception would allow drivers to call for help during an emergency.

The proposed legislation includes some exclusions such as allowing drivers to use voice-operated, vehicle-integrated devices, as well as voice-operated GPS systems. McCarthy’s bill would require the DOT to conduct a study on distracted driving, focusing particularly on the issue of cognitive distraction and the impact of distraction on young and inexperienced drivers. Within two years, the DOT would be required to report its findings to Congress, providing recommendations for revising the minimum distracted driving prohibitions and penalties states must comply with. States would be given two years to comply with the law or face a 25 percent reduction in federal highway funding.

This is a similar approach that federal government used in the 1990s when they strongly encouraged states to adopt stricter drinking and driving laws, specifically the .08 blood alcohol limits.

Many believe this is long over-due as distracted driving accidents are one of the leading causes of vehicle fatalities.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 5,474 people died as a result of driver distraction in 2009, accounting for approximately 1 in 6 of all auto crash fatalities that year.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a Chicago car accident or a Chicago trucking accident, then call Chicago car accident attorney, Aaron Bryant, for a free consultation at 312-588-3384 or go to the firm website at www.blgchicago.com.

Illinois Bicycle Group Seeks Exposure & Stiffer Penalty For Dooring Accidents

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As I have discussed here in the past, the Illinois legislature has done a fair amount to protect bicyclists. Specifically, last year Governor Quinn signed into law a statute that empowers police to ticket motorists who “in a reckless manner, drive the motor vehicle unnecessarily close to, toward, or near a bicyclist, pedestrian, or a person riding a horse or driving an animal-drawn vehicle.”  In 2008, the Illinois legislature passed a law which required drivers to keep a three (3) distance from bicycles on the road.

Although these are seen as improvement from preventing Illinois bicycle accidents, certain groups would like to see state-wide legislation regarding “dooring” accidents. In other words, when a parked motorist opens their door into a bicycle lane without leaving enough time or room for the bicyclist to veer out of the way.

The Active Transportation Alliance, which is a group involved in efforts to make streets safer for bicyclists, pedestrians and motorists in the Chicago region, wants to raise public awareness and promote stiffer penalties for dooring accidents. They intend to launch a campaign to increase public awareness about dooring crashes. The group considers doorings the most prevalent threat to on-street cyclists.

Dooring accident are viewed as very dangerous.  The Chicago Tribune reported recently that informal surveys the alliance has conducted among its members indicate that more than half the people who bike on streets have been doored at least once, said Ethan Spotts, spokesman for the organization. But lacking solid statistics, bicycling advocates say they can neither prove a problem exists nor apply for federal and state traffic-safety funds to address it, he said.  From 2005 through 2009, there was an average of more than 3,500 crashes each year between vehicles and bicyclists in Illinois, resulting in 18 to 27 cyclists killed and more than 3,300 injured annually, according to IDOT statistics.

Unfortunately the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) or Illinois law does ot currently classify dooring accidents as a moving violation or as an actual vehicle accident because the car is not in motion.  IDOT’s position is that they are following national crash reporting standards. But doorings are a growing safety problem, and for IDOT to say this has been our standard for many years simply ignores a dangerous trend,”  Dan Persky of Active Transportation Alliance said. “Our proposal wouldn’t add to IDOT’s workload.”

Those familiar with Chicago know that this is a bicycle friendly city and there hundreds, if not, thousands of bicyclists on the road in our city at any time. I have heard many dooring accident stories and firmly believe there needs to be legislation enacted that would help prevent these accidents.  The bicyclists are not going anywhere, so it is time to start protecting them.

If you or someone you know has been involved in a Chicago bicycle accident or Chicago car accident, then call Chicago personal injury attorney, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free consultation at 312-588-3384 or go to the firm website www.blgchicago.com.

Illinois Records Less Than1000 Road Deaths For 2nd Year In A Row

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There were 911 traffic fatalities in 2009 and 2010 saw only a small bump with 923.  The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) cited several factors for the decrease in highway fatalities in the past few years, including record high seat belt compliance.  IDOT is certain that seat belt compliance is due to the change in the law in 2003, which allows police officers to pull drivers over for not wearing their seat belt (i.e. a primary traffic offense.)  Safety belt usage reached a record high 91.7 percent rate in 2009 before improving to 92.6 percent in 2010. The figures are calculated by IDOT from motorist surveys and data collected from traffic citations and other sources.

IDOT also attributes the low number of highway deaths to the new distracted driving laws, efforts to address teen driving habits, motorcycle safety, drunken driving and work zone safety. Spokesmen from IDOT who spoke the Peoria Journal, believe stricter anti-texting laws are needed to further decrease the number of highway fatalities.

Remember, if you or someone you know has been involved in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, then call Illinois personal injury attorney, Aaron J. Bryant, at 312-588-3384 for a free consultation on your car crash case or go to the firm website at www.blgchicago.com. 

IDOT Launches Safe Driving Campaign: “Drive Now. Text Later.”

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The dangers of texting and driving  has been discussed numerous times on this blog. Despite all of the media attention and the change in the law banning texting and driving, it surprises me how many friends and clients still do not know about this law.

Apparently IDOT and other state organizations feel the same way about the awareness of the texting and driving ban. IDOT is determined to raise awareness as they recently launched a new campaign titled “Drive Now. Text Later.”  IDOT has joined forces with The Illinois Tollway, The Illinois State Police, Illinois Secretary of State and AAA Chicago in their implementation of this campaign.

The campaign features a series of three professionals: a school bus driver, an airline pilot and a surgeon and reminds drivers: “He should be focused… and so should you.” These images demonstrate the need to focus on the job at hand and that texting while performing other tasks can be dangerous and deadly – not just to yourself, but also to those around you.

“We were surprised to learn that so many of our customers were simply not aware that texting while driving is illegal in Illinois,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Kristi Lafleur. “This campaign is intended to remind us of the potentially deadly consequences that go along with texting while driving. Our customers need to focus on safe driving and remember that they can’t do both.”

The public awareness campaign will include: the placement of posters on tollbooths, in retail outlets, rest stops, oases and driver’s license facilities; radio and television public service announcements; bumper stickers and window clings; signage on roadway message boards; newsletter articles and other tools to help educate Illinois residents about the dangers of texting while driving. The campaign will also feature a Web site with downloadable public service announcements, print-ready fliers and posters, a fact sheet, tips to avoid distracted driving and links to other useful online resources.

Remember to put that phone down when you are on the road. It could save your life and those around you.

If you or someone you know has been involved in a Chicago car accident  or Chicago truck accident , then call Chicago personal injury attorney , Aaron Bryant, for a free consultation  at 312-588-3384 or go to the firm website at www.blgchicago.com

IDOT Stresses Safe Winter Driving

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We are in the heart of winter here in the Midwest and The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is stressing the importance of safe driving when the weather turns ugly.  The Mcdonoughvoice.com reported recently about IDOT’s effort to inform drivers about safety hazards and steps to take to protect yourself and other drivers.

First, it is important to be wary of snow plows and salt trucks on the road.  IDOT spokesman Brian Williamson said 30 percent of the traffic crashes involving IDOT snow plows and salt trucks are caused by vehicles following too closely.  “Slow down for yourselves and slow down for the folks who are trying to clear the roads; it just makes good sense,” said District 14 Trooper and Safety Education Officer Ed Howard

“Vehicle preparation is very important,” he said. “Make sure your windshield washer fluid is full and your wiper (blades are in good condition). Also, have a plan; let others know where you’re going and what route you’ll be taking.”

Howard said drivers should check all of the road condition hotlines for the areas they’ll be driving to.
He said District 14 gets frequent calls from the public asking about travel conditions.

Be careful out there, and if you can, take public transportation if it’s available for you. If you or someone you know has been involved in a Chicago car accident  or Chicago truck accident , then call Chicago accident attorney, Aaron Bryant , for a free consultation  at 312-588-3384 or go to the firm website at www.blgchicago.com.

IDOT Announces A Decrease In Highway Fatalities In 2010

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Good news was issued from the Illinois Department of Transportation this week. The first half of 2010 shows a decrease in Illinois highway fatalities, which includes the Chicagoland area.  The overall number of fatalities on Illinois roads is down by 16.8 percent on a provisional basis for the first six months of 2010; from 434 in 2009, to 361 in 2010.

One of the reasons for these numbers is an increased rate of seat belt compliance so far in 2010. Since July of 2003, safety belt use in Illinois has gone up 16.4 percentage points, from 76.2 percent in 2003 to 92.6 percent in the statewide survey, just completed by IDOT’s Traffic Safety Division. Prior to enactment of the primary enforcement law, police could not pull a driver over based solely on a safety belt violation.

“During the past six years we have seen the statewide compliance usage rate climb to a remarkable 92.6 percent,” said IDOT’s Traffic Safety Director Michael Stout. “This incredible milestone would not have been possible without the hundreds of dedicated IDOT staff and partners throughout the state working tirelessly to make our highways safer. We believe the decrease in Illinois fatalities is a direct result of the increase in safety belt usage. We look forward to helping this number increase in our effort to save lives.”

For more information on the recent safety belt usage rate refer to www.dot.il.gov/trafficsafety/tsevaluation.html. To view a short video exemplifying why some Illinois residents are making the choice to buckle up, please visit IDOT’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2gDyuyaeWk.

This is an exciting trend in Illinois. It will be interesting to see if these numbers stay consistent through the summer months, which we all know are the busiest travel months.

If you or someone you know has been involved in a Chicago car accident  or Chicago truck accident , then call Chicago accident attorney  Aaron Bryant for a free consultation  at 312-588-3384 or go to the firm website at www.BLGCHICAGO.com

IDOT Launches “Start Seeing Motorcycles” Campaign

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I wrote the other day about the importance of wearing motorcycle helmets in the prevention of brain injuries . Illinois Governor Quinn announced that May is motorcycle awareness month and IDOT has jumped on board with their new campaign, called “start seeing motorcycles.”

IDOT is offering free courses for beginning and intermediate riders to reduce the severity and frequency of motorcycle crashes. In 2009, IDOT’s Division of Traffic Safety trained 16,701 students in its Cycle Rider Safety Training Program (CRSTP), which is marking its 34th year in operation. For additional information on course locations and schedules, go to www.startseeingmotorcyles.org

“When you ride, be aware of your surroundings, others may not see you. Whenever there is a motor vehicle versus a motorcycle accident, most of the time the operator’s comment is, ‘I did not see the bike” said Larry Kolling, Gold Wing Road Riders Association’s IL District Motorist Awareness Coordinator.

“The Illinois State Police is committed to sustaining the downward trend of traffic crash fatalities in Illinois, and ensuring the safety of motorcyclists,” said Acting Illinois State Police Director Jonathon Monken. “Troopers throughout the state will continue to monitor speed limits, check license endorsements, and enforce “Fatal Five” moving violations.”

IDOT issued the following safety tips in promotion of their new campaign.

  • 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.
     
  • Don’t ride beyond 80% of your riding capabilities. To do so leaves no margin for the unexpected.
     
  • 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.
     
  • 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 drink and ride. Alcohol slows reactions and impairs function.

    • It is good to see Illinois promote motorcycle safety. We will see if the state pushes forward with the helmet legislation.

    If you or someone you know has been involved in a Chicago car accident , Chicago truck accident  or Chicago motorcycle accident , then call attorney Aaron Bryant at 312-588-3384 for a free consultation  or go to the firm website at www.BLGCHICAGO.com. />

    IDOT And Illinois State Police Kick Off Impaired Driving Campaign

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    On February 4, The Illinois Department of Transportation announced  its new impaired driving campaign with the Illinois State Police. The program is titled Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving. The timing of this campaign is an attempt to prevent drunk driving during Super Bowl weekend, which is notorious for football fans being out and about at various parties and watering holes.

    “Throughout Super Bowl weekend, the Illinois State Police will remain diligent in enforcing driving under the influence and the other fatal five violations, including speeding, safety belt use, improper lane usage and following too closely,” said Illinois State Police Director Jonathon Monken.  “Law enforcement recognizes the big game brings fans together to celebrate, and alcoholic beverages are often part of the celebration.  If you choose to drink, don’t drive.  Ask someone to be a designated driver prior to starting your celebration or call a taxi service to make sure you arrive home safely.”

    The Illinois Department of Transportation’s Division of Traffic Safety suggests the following tips for those planning to consume alcohol while watching the Super Bowl:

    • Designate a sober driver before the party begins;

    • Call a taxi, use mass transit, or call a sober friend or family member to get you home safely; 

    • Use your community’s designated driver program, if established;

    • Report impaired drivers to law enforcement;
       
    • Spend the night where the activity is being held and sleep it off;
       
    • Always buckle up – it’s your best defense against an impaired driver.

    Remember to be careful on the roads this weekend.

    If you or someone you know has been involved in an Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident or have been charged with a DUIor another traffic violation, then call attorney Aaron Bryant for a free consultation at 312-588-3384.