Chicago To Add 50 New Speeder Cameras Around City

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I have written multiple times in the
past about Chicago speeder cameras. Like many residents and media members, I
have been skeptical as to whether the cameras are a money grab for the city or
are actually being placed to make our city safer. Like them or not, NBC
5 reported last week that the city has approved 50 new cameras
throughout the city. You can see the complete list by clicking here. 

The first group of 4 cameras were installed on Monday August
26, the first day of classes for Chicago Public
Schools students. Another eight cameras were scheduled to be installed in
September. Another 50 will be installed by the end of the year. Drivers
will receive warnings for the first 30 days after a camera is activated in any
specific “safety zone” around a school or park. After that, drivers
will be fined $35 for travelling 6 to 10 miles per hour over the posted speed
limit, and $100 for travelling 11 or more miles over the posted speed limit.
 

Enforcement times will be limited to
7 a.m.-7 p.m. on weekdays in school zones, with a 20 mph speed limist from from
7 a.m.-4 p.m. when children are present, and a 30 mph speed limit from 4-7 p.m.
A 30 mph speed limit will be enforced from 6 a.m.-11 p.m. every day of the week
in park zones


As I have said before, I will be interested to see the accident rates in these
locations after the cameras are installed. Hopefully this will create safer
school zones, less car accidents and ultimately eliminate any pedestrianaccidents.

If you or someone you love has
been injured in a Chicago car accident or Chicago pedestrian accident, then
call Chicago personal injury attorney Aaron Bryant for a free legal consultation
at 312-588-3384. 

New IL Law Allows Electronic Proof Of Auto Insurance

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I wrote a few months back about a
new law that would raise the minimum requirement for Illinois auto insurance up
to $25,000 per individual and $50,000 per accident, up from $20,000 and
$40,000. This bill has not been signed by Governor Quinn yet, but another
interesting auto insurance bill was signed last week. According to the Herald-Review.com,
Governor Quinn did sign a bill that allows drivers to show proof of auto insurance
electronically from their phone. Country
Financial, a Bloomington, IL based insurance company said customers can
download a copy of their insurance card from the company website, said
spokesman Christopher Stroisch.  “We wanted to make it easy for our
customers to access their commercial truck insurance. Most people wouldn’t think of
leaving their house without their phone, but they may not remember to put their
newest insurance card into their vehicle,” Stroisch said in an email Friday.

Although I
primarily handle personal injury cases and auto accidents, I do represent
clients charged with traffic violations, including no insurance tickets. On its
face this seems like a logical bill to pass as often times drivers lose the
paper version of their proof of insurance. But what if drivers leave home
without their phone or forget to download the proof of insurance on their
phone? Well, the short answer is they will still receive a ticket and will have
to appear in court to show proof before having the ticket dismissed. My advice
is to download proof of insurance on your phone (if available) but also keep a
hard copy of your insurance in your glove compartment just in case you leave
home without your phone.

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 legalconsultation at 312-588-3384. 

  

IL Governor Quinn Signs Bill Increasing Speed Limit To 70 MPH

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I discussed on this blog
in the past about the bill increasing the Illinois speed limit on interstate
highways to 70 mph. As the Chicago Tribune reported last week,
Governor Quinn signed the bill into law. Quinn signed the measure despite opposition
from the Illinois Department of Transportation, state police and leading
roadway safety organizations, who feared increased mayhem on the highways,
especially between cars and trucks. 

The speed limit in
Illinois is 55 mph in metropolitan areas and 65 on rural highways. But on
January 1, 2013, Illinois will become the 37th state to approve
limits of 70 mph or higher since the national speed limit was repealed almost two
decades ago. Under the measure, Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will
counties could keep their maximum speed limits below 70 mph if they so choose.
Opponents argue that higher speeds will lead to an increase in trafficfatalities and make it more difficult for large trucks to stop to avoid vehiclecollisions.

I believe this is a
legitimate concern raised by the Illinois Department of Transportation. Some of
the most violent auto accidents occur when a 16 wheeler truck is unable to stop
on time and they end up rear-ending much smaller vehicles. The chance for
injuries as a result of these auto accidents are much higher now as trucks will
be driving at higher rates. I will be interested in seeing a year or two of
studies that will tell us whether (a) there are more auto accidents on highways
that have the 70 mph limit, and (b) whether significant injuries and fatalities
rise.

If you or someone you
love has been injured in a Chicago truck accident or Chicago car crash, then
call Chicago personal injury attorney, Aaron Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-588-3384. 

Cook County Traffic Courts To Review Driver Backgrounds Much More Closely

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The Chicago
Tribune reported last week that the city and county prosecutors are
going to provide traffic court judges with a more detailed driving background
for those charged with speeding tickets. Typically in the past drivers who were
charged with a speeding ticket in Cook County would only have their Illinois
driving record examined before a plea offer was made. As long as the driver had
less than three (3) speeding tickets within a year’s time, then they would be
eligible for court supervision. Court supervision is a limited type of
probation, which if completed (no other traffic or criminal violations within a
set period of time), then the ticket was removed from the driver’s records and
it was not considered a conviction. Typically, a plea agreement involving
supervision also involves the payment of a fine and court costs, and
occasionally community service. 

The Tribune reported that traffic judges will now have
a driver’s complete driving history at their disposal, which will include any
out of state tickets received within the last year.

Under the new process,
which is scheduled to begin next month, county clerk’s office will
electronically transmit the names and driver’s license numbers for all the
minor traffic cases to the secretary of states’ office, which will run the
driver’s name through a national database.

Prosecutors will then
have the information available to present to the judge when the defendant
appears in court. “This is a tremendous leap forward in (judges’) ability to
help keep the public safe by keeping dangerous drivers off the road,” said
Lynda Peters, who supervises Chicago’s traffic court prosecutors.

This creates an issue
for many Cook County drivers who like to speed and are prone to tickets. Three
(3) speeding convictions within a year can result in a suspension of the driver’s
license. Time will tell whether this new process actually leads to fewer
speeders on the road and, more importantly, leads to less car accidents.

If someone you love has
been seriously injured in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident,
then call Chicago personal injury attorney, Aaron Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-588-3384

Chicago Officials Deem Speeder Light Cameras Effective

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The Inquisitr reported recently that Chicago officials have
come out to say that the much maligned speeder cameras are working better than
expected and could earn the city much more money than they initially
envisioned. Officials in the city are now
preparing to install the programs first permanent cameras at four neighborhood
parks. Those cameras will be followed by eight additional locations, including
three near schools over the next month. The December trial, which included two
companies vying for the city contract, caught 93,000 speeders at four
locations. Based on those numbers and a five-year contract with Chicago could
mean upwards of one million tickets per year or over five million over the
five-year contract. 

The
system comes with a warning for a driver’s first violation followed by a ticket
of $100 if they travel 11MPH or more over the posted speed limit. A $35 ticket
will be issued for second time offenders who travel 6 to 10MPH over the speed
limit.

This is interesting information that The Inquisitr has
reported, but there is almost no comment from the city regarding safety. Are
parks and school areas safer due to these cameras? Mayor Emanual scoffed at the
notion that these cameras were being placed to earn extra revenue for the city.
He has been quoted over and over that these were being implemented to protect
children. I will believe that these cameras are a success once the city or some
independent entity publishes actual statistics that car accidents – – and more
importantly – – pedestrian accidents are down in these designated areas.

If you or someone you
love has been seriously injured in a Chicago car accident or Chicago pedestrianaccident, then call Chicago personal injury attorney Aaron Bryant at
312-588-3384 for a free legal consultation.  

Illinois Governor Quinn Signs Patricia’s Law

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I recently wrote about
Kelsey’s Law, which was signed by Governor Quinn earlier this week. The
governor also signed Patricia’s Law that same day, which is another piece of
legislation that affects Illinois drivers. Patricia’s Law specifically
eliminates the possibility of gaining court supervision when a driver is
convicted of causing a car accident those results in a death. Court supervision
is not the same as probation. If the driver stays out of trouble (no further
tickets or arrests) during the supervision period, then the there is no
conviction on the driver’s record. 

According to CBS
Chicago, the
law was named after Patricia McNamara, a Rockford woman killed in a crash
caused by a distracted driver who was given a fine and court supervision in the
case. Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White did not believe that Court
supervision was enough when someone is charged with a traffic fatality. “Court supervision is a way by which you get your license back,
and you pay a fine. You may have to do some community service, and I just think
that’s the wrong way to approach how we deal with individuals who have killed
someone on our roads,” he said.

The
new law went into effect this week when it was signed by Governor Quinn.

If
you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a Chicago car accident or
Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury attorney Aaron Bryant
for a free legal consultation at 312-588-3384.  

Illinois Governor Quinn Signs Kelsey’s Law

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Back in 2011, 13 year
old Kelsey Little was walking with two friends in Grundy County, when she was
tragically struck and killed by a 15 year old driver. Shockingly, three days
later the 15 year old applied for and received his driver’s license. This news
shocked the Little family along with lawmakers and Illinois Secretary of State,
Jesse White.

As a result, Illinois
lawmakers drafted and passed House Bill 1009, which was named Kelsey’s law. The
new law, which NBC 5 reports was signed into law by Governor Quinn, prohibits any teen with unresolved traffic
citations from getting a state driver’s license.  Sources said Quinn
supports the proposed legislation. The new law would ask the
question: ‘Do you have a pending case in court dealing with a traffic
violation?’ If a teen answers, ‘Yes,’ or is caught lying, White’s office can
then invalidate that license application.

“It’s the kind of commonsense
legislation that will make people of Illinois safer, our lives better and my
family a little happier,” Little’s mother, Nancy Deckleman, said
after Monday’s bill-signing. “Knowing that for everything Kelsey’s been
through that something good will finally come of it.”  The new law
took effect with Quinn’s signature.

This is the type of legislation
that makes the roads safer, and will hopefully prevent other deadly
vehicle-pedestrian accidents from taking place.

Should you or someone you love
become injured in a Chicago car accident or Chicago auto-pedestrian accident,
then call Chicago personal injury attorney Aaron Bryant for a free legalconsultation at 312-588-3384. 

Summer Safety Tips For Drivers

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Summer is here and it is
the season where more drivers are on the road than any other time of year. Whether
it is a cross-country vacation or a weekend get-away, millions of drivers are
out on the road, so it is important to be aware of other motorists, your
passengers and, of course, what you are doing as the driver. The Texas A&M
Transportation Institute, which has provided numerous traffic safety studies in
the past, has provided a list of detailed safety tips in order to avoid traffic accidents caused before of the summer heat. The sun can be a driver’s worst enemy if it gets into their eyes, that’s why lots of people get some vehicle tinting done. 

 

§  Check tires for proper air pressure, tread
wear and a spare.

§  Check wiper blades, the cooling system (for
needed servicing and coolant level), fluid levels, lights, and the
air-conditioning system.

§  The focus of any driver, at all times, should
be driving. Nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near crashes involve
some form of driver distraction.

§  Everybody aboard must agree to wear their seat
belts every time they are riding or driving in your vehicle.

§  Be responsible and don’t drink and drive.

§  Make sure car seats and booster seats are
properly installed and that any children riding with you are in the restraint
system best suited to protect them.

§  All children 12 and younger should ride in the
back seat. Never leave children alone in a vehicle during the summer.

§  Have an emergency roadside kit
available: 

§  a cell phone;

§  a first aid kit;

§  a flashlight;

§  flares and a white flag;

§  jumper cables;

§  a jack (and a ground mat) for changing a tire;

§  work gloves and a change of clothes;

§  basic repair tools and some duct tape (for
temporarily repairing a hose leak);

§  a jug of water and paper towels for cleaning
up;

§  nonperishable food, drinking water and
medicines;

§  extra windshield washer fluid; and

§  maps.

If you or someone you
love is injured in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident this
summer, then call Chicago personal injury attorney, Aaron Bryant, for a free legal consultation, at 312-588-3384. 

Chicago Samples ‘Pedestrian Scramble’ At Downtown Intersection

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The Chicago
Tribune reported recently that the Chicago Department of
Transportation introduced a ‘pedestrian scramble’ at State and Jackson in the
downtown loop. The test involves stopping
all vehicles — heading east on Jackson and north and south on State — for about
14 seconds every other light cycle to give pedestrians a jump on traffic to
cross in all directions, including diagonally, according to Bill McCaffrey, a
spokesman for the Chicago Department of Transportation. The goal is to
give pedestrians a head start crossing streets and therefore reducing conflicts
between pedestrians and turning vehicles, officials said.

Of
course, the over-arching goal is to reduce the risk of vehicle – pedestrian accidents, which are prevalent in downtown Chicago, especially during rush
hour. About 3,000 vehicle crashes involving pedestrians — causing several
dozen pedestrian deaths — occur in Chicago each year, according to the Illinois
Department of Transportation. The city’s pedestrian plan calls for reducing
crash-related pedestrian injuries by 50 percent.

I work
and live downtown and I have yet to notice this change at State and Jackson,
thought I will keep an eye out for it. For some reason, I do not see this as
something that would decrease pedestrian accidents because you are increasing
the number of pedestrians walking in every possible direction at a busy
intersection. I would like to see what the results will be of any studies and
if there a plans to expand this to other intersections.

If you
or someone you love has been injured in a Chicago pedestrian accident or
Chicago car accident, then call Chicago personal injury attorney, Aaron Bryant,
at 312-588-3384 for a free legal consultation. 

Chicago Believes Traffic Lights For Bicyclists Are Working

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I have written in weeks past about
designated bike lanes on Dearborn in downtown Chicago, and the Chicago
Tribune reported recently, the city believes that these designated
lanes along with bicycle specific traffic lights, have kept bicyclists safe and
obeying the rules of the road. The
bicycle-specific traffic signals on Dearborn are part of a federally funded
experiment involving the two-way bike lanes, which are protected from moving
vehicle traffic by plastic posts and a parking lane over much of the 1.15-mile
route between Kinzie and Polk streets.  Monitoring by the Chicago Department of Transportation shows
that cyclists stopping for red lights has improved by 161 percent since
cyclist-specific traffic signals, which glow with the image of a bike on the
lens, were installed on Dearborn in December. “Cyclists will really
abide by a signal if they have one,” Chicago Transportation Commissioner
Gabe Klein believes.  

“Enforcement
hasn’t been necessary because people for the most part are obeying the
laws,” said Cmdr. Al Nagode of the Chicago Police Department’s district that includes the Loop. “We’ve had a handful of
citations that we’ve written both to drivers of vehicles and to some bikes when
we see something egregious.”

The
Police Department has no reports of traffic accidents between cyclists and vehicles or
cyclists and pedestrians since the two-way bike lanes were installed, Nagode
said.

“I’m
sure there have been some close shaves here and there,” Klein said.
“Cyclists need to pay attention. You cannot drift into the other lane. I
think it will take time for people to get used to the new traffic pattern, but
so far it has gone pretty well.”

This
report is good news for Chicago cyclists and drivers. There are often
complaints from both types of commuters about the other. Although the sample
size (6 months) is still small, it would be safe to say that these bicycle
specific lanes and traffic lights are working. The goal here is to make the
road safe for everyone – – bicyclists, drivers and pedestrians. It will be
interesting to see if the city expands the bicycle only lanes to other major
roads throughout the city.

If
you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a Chicago bicycle accident or Chicago car accident, then call Chicago personal injury attorney
Aaron Bryant for a free legal consultation at 312-588-3384.