Illinois Passes Bill To Increase Minimum Auto Insurance Coverage

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The Chicago Tribune reported
this week that the Illinois House and Senate passed a bill that would increase
the minimum auto insurance coverage to $25,000 for injury or death to one
person. That is up from $20,000, which has been the minimum amount for the past
24 years. 

It would also minimum coverage to
$50,000 for injury or death of two people, up from $40,000.

“The rates have not been changed in
24 years and do not keep pace with rising medical costs,” said proponent and
state Rep. Laura Fine, a Glenview Democrat. “This will save people who are
injured in an accident that is no fault of their own from some of the
out-of-pocket medical costs they may incur.

Rep. Fine is correct. Many times
drivers are seriously injured in car accidents and they incur medical bills that
exceed the amount of insurance coverage. As a Chicago car crash attorney, I
have seen this happen multiple times with my clients. Not only do innocent accident
victims suffer, but hospitals, physicians and other medical facilities can be
short changed for their services. I think this law needed to be changed years
ago. It has passed the Senate and House and fully expect Governor Quinn to sign
when it reaches his desk.

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

Study Shows Voice To Text Just As Dangerous Than Manually Texting And Driving

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The Texas A&M
Traffic Institute (TTI) recently conducted a study on the dangers of voice to
text while driving. As I have written here in the past, the reaction time for
drivers while manually texting is remarkably dangerous – – almost as dangerous
as driving under the influence of alcohol. Up to this point, no studies had
been conducted on the reaction times for drivers who use the voice to text
method through applications like Siri and Vingo.

For the
experiment, associate transportation researcher at TTI
Christine Yager gathered 43 participants, who drove an instrumented
vehicle on a closed course at the Texas A&M University Riverside facility,
and measured their reaction time as well as the amount of time spent looking at
the roadway ahead.


“Each participant drove the course four times:
once while not texting, once while texting manually and two more times using
two different voice-to-text mobile applications, Siri and Vingo,” Yager said.


Regardless of which texting method was used, the
voice-to text applications were not found to be any less impairing than
manual-entry texting. According to Yager’s abstract, response times and eye
gazes to the forward roadway were relatively similar within each texting
method.

These
are fascinating findings in this study. I would like to see a much larger study
performed by the National Traffic Safety Board or other governmental
institution to either confirm or deny these findings. If confirmed, then state
and federal lawmakers need to reconsider their anti-texting and driving laws to
include voice to text as this can be equally as dangerous and continue to lead
to traffic accidents.

If you
or someone you love is involved in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truckaccident, then call Chicago personal injury attorney, Aaron Bryant, for a freelegal consultation at 312-588-3384.

Major Cell Phone Providers Join Together For Anti-Texting And Driving Campaign

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AT&T is stepping up
to plate again to campaign against texting and driving. As I have written here
in the past, AT&T has launched campaigns before on this issue, but this
time they are being joined by other major carriers such as Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile US, Inc. and more than 200
other organizations. As ABC News in Chicago reported this week, the new
campaign is titled “It Can Wait.” The new national advertising campaign, a nationwide
texting-while-driving simulator tour, retail presence in tens of thousands of
stores, and outreach to millions of consumers with a special focus throughout
the summer months between Memorial Day and Labor Day-known as the 100 Deadliest
Days on the roads for teen drivers.1 The 2013 campaign drive will culminate on
Sept. 19, when efforts turn towards encouraging everyone to get out in their
community and advocate involvement on behalf of the movement.

The
campaign kicks off May 20, with AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile bringing
a multi-million dollar, co-branded advertising campaign to raise awareness of
the dangers of texting and driving, and encouraging everyone to immediately
take the pledge against it at www.itcanwait.com www.itcanwait.com. The
campaign will focus on the stories of people who are living with the
consequences of texting while driving. Their stories will be told through
various media including TV, radio, digital and social. The first story in the
campaign will be of Xzavier Davis-Bilbo, who in 2010 at five-years-old, was
struck while crossing the street by a young woman texting while driving-leaving
him paralyzed from the waist down.

Also,
government agencies including the U.S. Department of Transportation, National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration and National Transportation Safety Board
have all committed to help end distracted driving and support the efforts of It
Can Wait and others who are working to raise awareness.

This is
the first time that all the cell phone carriers have joined together and
focused on this issue with one major advertising campaign. I think they need to
applauded as we all know texting and driving is a major issue in this country.
But, I will state again, the danger of texting and driving will not go away
until stricter laws are enacted by individual states. Specifically, there need
to be higher fines when someone is caught texting and driving. If someone is
injured in a car accident where it can shown that texting and driving was the
cause, then there needs to be the threat of jail time. In other words, the
charge needs to be raised to a misdemeanor (Class A in Illinois), similar to a
DUI.

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

NTSB Recommends States Lower Blood Alcohol Level That Constitutes Drunk Driving

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About fifteen years ago,
the National Traffic Safety Board (“NTSB”) made a huge push in this
country to lower to the blood alcohol content that constitutes drunk driving to
.08. Through the federal government they were able to put pressure on
individual states by withholding federal funding for road construction unless
states complied by enacting the new law. This tactic worked and was basically
applauded by lawmakers and interest groups as it appeared to make the roads
safer against drunk drivers. 

Flash forward to 2013
and the NTSB is now convinced that states should again lower the legal limit
for driving to .05, this according to a report from NBC Online News. According
to the NTSB 10,000
people die in alcohol-related traffic accidents and 170,000 are injured,
according to the NTSB. While that’s a big improvement from the 20,000 who died
in alcohol-related accidents 30 years ago, it remains a consistent threat to
public safety. 

Further,
the NTSB points out most countries in Europe, Asia and Australia have all
lowered the legal BAC limit to .05.  When Australia dropped its BAC level
from .08 to .05, provinces reported a 5-18 percent drop in traffic
fatalities. The NTSB reports that at .05 BAC, some drivers begin having
difficulties with depth perception and other visual functions.  At .07,
cognitive abilities become impaired. 

At .05 BAC, the risk of having an accident increases by 39
percent. At .08 BAC, the risk of having an accident increases by more than 100
percent.

The NTSB believes that if all 50 states changed their standard to
.05, nearly 1,000 lives could be saved each year.  It is also considering
other steps to help bring down the death rates on America’s roads.

The numbers are hard to argue with here.  If drivers fear
being arrested after just a few beers, then there will probably be less drunk
drivers on the road. And, ultimately, this will lead to less car accidents and
traffic fatalities. Regardless, I do not believe this law change is going to
happen overnight. The restaurant, beer and spirit lobby is going push back hard
against this type of rule change. Their argument will be that a lower BAC level
will punish otherwise responsible drinkers and still will not keep hardcore
drinkers off the road. This is a new development worth following in the months
to come.

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

Chicago Mayor Proposes Fine Hikes For Reckless Cyclists And Dooring Accidents

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According to a report from the Huffington Post and WGN
News this week, Chicago Mayor, Rahm Emanuel, has proposed several fine
hikes for bicyclists who disobey traffic laws and also against motorists who
commit a dooring accident (these are accidents where a driver opens their door
on a road causing a collision with a bicyclist).

Currently, bikers caught disobeying
traffic laws face a $25 fine for all offenses. Under Emanuel’s proposed
ordinance, that fine would be increased to an amount ranging from $50 to $200,
“depending on the severity of the violation.”

Drivers would face harsher penalties
for reckless driving as well. Under the proposal, WGN reports the fine for
motorists who “door” a cyclist — hitting bikers with a car door while entering or exiting a vehicle —
would see their fines double from $150 to $300.

According to WBEZ
(NPR News), there were 577 reported doorings in Chicago from 2009 through September
7, 2012. City and transportation
officials had previously noted many bicycle doorings still go unreported.

There is no doubt
that the roads in Chicago can be dangerous for both bicyclists and motorists
and that for each most co-exist together. Both motorists and bicyclists are, at
times, guilty of negligent behavior and they must be accountable, especially
when a vehicle collision occurs. Hopefully, if these measures will provide the
impetus for both cyclists and motorists to obey the rules of the road, as they
will no longer be facing just a slap on the wrist (i.e. a $25 fine).

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

AAA Opposes Illinois Speed Limit Increase

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According to The
Wall Street Journal, AAA is adamantly opposed to the Illinois Senate
Bill 2356, which proposes to increase the interstate speed limit 70 miles per
hour. 

“The Illinois legislature should not
ignore the enormous speeding problem Illinois already has on its
roadways,” said Brad Roeber, president of AAA Chicago. “Speeding
accounts for more than half of Illinois’ over 900 roadway fatalities, and this
problem cannot be fixed by letting cars and trucks travel faster.”

The data on speeding are clear. From
2008-2011, Illinois’ roadway fatalities dropped 12 percent; but those
fatalities due to speeding rose nearly 14 percent. Furthermore, in 2010 and
2011, Illinois speed limits for large trucks were raised to 65 mph. Over this
time, there has been a 39 percent increase in fatalities involving large
trucks.

“Make no mistake, this bill allows large
trucks to travel even faster on our roadways. The majority of large-truck
fatalities involve motorists, who unfortunately don’t stand a chance against an
80,000 pound vehicle traveling at high speeds,” said Roeber.  In
2011, AAA noted in their Crashes vs. Congestion study that a conservative
estimate of the cost to society for each fatal car crash was $6 million. 

I wrote about this issue last week after the
bill passed through the Senate. My issue with the Bill was whether there were
any studies available regarding the dangers on the roadways based on a higher
speed limit. No surprise, AAA has researched this issue, and they are convinced
there will be me traffic accidents and traffic fatalities if drivers
(specifically truck drivers) are allowed to drive faster on highways. I would
like to see an independent study on this issue before I conclude whether this
Bill should be enacted into law.

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 Senate Bill Would Raise Speed Limit To 70 On Interstates

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The Chicago
Tribune reported this week that the Illinois Senate passed a measure
41 to 6 that raise the speed limit to 70 miles per hour on interstates and toll
ways. It is interesting to point out that the bill would allow Cook County and
Suburban St. Louis counties to opt out of the measure. The current top speed on Illinois interstates is 65
mph.

Sponsoring Sen. Jim
Oberweis, R-Sugar Grove, said the change would bring Illinois in line with the
more than 30 states that allow drivers to go 70 or 75 mph. Oberweis said the
higher speed would allow commerce to move faster. Oberweis said it would save
time for his delivery services as well as countless other companies, calling
the bill “business-friendly.”

This bill will no doubt
be supported by truck drivers and trucking companies and by those who make the
arduous drive from Chicago to St. Louis down I-55. The question I have is
whether there would be any safety ramifications for drivers. That is, will the
higher speed limit make drivers more susceptible to auto accidents? The article
does not mention any safety studies that have been performed on this issue.

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

Traffic Gridlock Increases In Chicago Due Economic Rebound

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The PR Newswire released
an interesting article this week, which confirmed that traffic gridlock, has
increased over the past year across the United States, including here in
Chicago. According to data from the most
recent INRIX Gridlock Index (IGI) shows that traffic jumped by almost 10
percent during February – the largest year-over-year increase recorded by IGI
in two years, and a healthy sign of rising economic activity across 100 metro
areas.

“Traffic is a great indicator
of confidence on the ground,” said Bryan Mistele, CEO of INRIX.
“People hit the road as they return to work, and businesses ship more
freight as their orders increase. IGI shows the pulse of the economy is
starting to beat faster.”

February’s composite IGI score of
6.8 meant that the average trip took drivers in the 100 most populated metro
areas 6.8 percent longer because of increased traffic congestion. The IGI’s
positive turn was echoed by a recent report on the U.S. housing sector. The
U.S. Commerce Department reported that February 2013 permits for
future construction rose 4.6 percent, reaching the highest level since June
2008.

Here in Chicago, traffic increased
over 20 percent from February 2012 to February 2013, hinting
that the metro area’s slow recovery may be gathering speed.

The article did not provide any
additional statistics about an increase in car accidents or traffic fatalities.
But I can almost guarantee that an increase in traffic jams, will ultimately
lead to an increase in traffic accidents. Remember to keep your wits about you
and focus on the road when you get stuck in traffic.

Should you or someone you love
suffer a serious injury in a Chicago car crash or Chicago truck accident, then
call Chicago personal injury attorney Aaron Bryant for a free legalconsultation at 312-588-3384.

National Work Zone Awareness Week Starts Today

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Construction workers are
often at grave risk as they work on highways and streets throughout the United
States. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation,  there were more than 37,000 work zone injuries and more than 500 fatalities in the most recent year
reported. This equates to one work zone injury every 14 minutes, 96 per day, or
about four people injured every hour.

Travelers
Insurance recently provided to Market Watch a list of steps that construction workers and construction
companies should follow to help protect themselves while working on a road
crew: 

–Have a Plan – Having
a written Traffic Control Plan based on the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control
Devices (MUTCD) or state requirements, whichever is more stringent, is critical
in that it is the foundation for safety within work zones.

— Slow Traffic – The
signage a driver and/or pedestrian experiences before entering a work zone in
the advanced warning area can influence their movement through the work zone.

— Create a Barrier –
While the type and extent of barriers utilized within a work zone are typically
dictated within contract documents, the type of barrier ultimately used can
mean the difference between protecting workers or not.

— Be Visible – Make
sure workers are visible with the appropriate high-visibility apparel. This
includes bright colors during the day and retro-reflective gear when working in
the dark.

A road construction
worker is a dangerous occupation, which is why this awareness week is so
important. Remember to slow down if you are driving through a construction
zone, and realize that these workers are doing their job and have families at
home. 

If you are a road
construction worker and suffered a Chicago work injury and a Chicago trafficaccident, then call Chicago personal injury attorney Aaron Bryant for a freeconsultation at 312-588-3384. 

IL House Passes Bill For Additional Driver Education For Young Drivers

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For years many young
Illinois drivers wait until they are 18 years old to apply for their driver’s
license in order to avoid taking driver’s ed while in high school. CBS Chicago
reported this week that the Illinois house has approved a bill that eliminate
this loophole for young drivers and would require they take 6 hours of online
driving classes before applying for their driver’s license. This would only be
required if the driver did not take driving classes while in high school.

Under the state’s
current graduated driver’s license program, teens can get a learning permit at
age 15, and a driver’s license at 16 if they have taken at least 50 hours of
classes – with 10 hours of practice driving at night.

But those 18 and older
don’t have to take driver’s ed classes to get a license under the current law.
 Secretary of State Jesse White said those young drivers are taking
advantage of a loophole in the graduated driving program.

“This piece of
legislation is designed to take care of some of the issues that these young
people have missed, because they didn’t take part in our graduated driver’s
license program,” he said.

The courses would
include information on traffic laws and signs, drug and alcohol awareness, and
the dangers of texting while driving.

I love this new bill
as we have seen the last few years that many fatal traffic accidents involve
young drivers. Also, the new requirement is minimally invasive as it is only 6
hours, compared to the 50 hours required for fifteen year old to apply for a
permit.

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