November Brings The Most Vehicle Collisions With Deer

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USA Today reported this week about the dangers of driving during the month of November – – for one specific reason – – the high number of deer that wander out to roads. For those who grew or live in rural areas, they are familiar with large amount of deer that pop out of the woods this time of year. late October through early December is mating season for North American deer, reports Rob Found, a biologist from the University of Alberta, in Edmonton.  “Males are so focused on mating, they’re not thinking straight,” Found says. “They’re looking for mates and for other males to fight.”

This can be very dangerous for people driving at night, and sadly could have been the cause of a serious truck accident that killed seven people in Indiana last week.

For the fifth year in a row, West Virginia tops the list of states where a driver is most likely to run into a deer, State Farm reports. The other states in the top 10 are Iowa, South Dakota, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Montana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota and Wyoming.  State Farm reports that the number of deer/car collisions has actually decreased the past three years, likely because of the economy and people driving fewer miles.  However, over the five-year period 2005-09, 1,017 people died in vehicle-animal collisions, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. In a 2004 study, IIHS found that 60% of people who died in such crashes in automobiles were not wearing seat belts.

The questions remains as to the best way to avoid these types of car crashes.  Professor Found performed a study which showed a dramatic decrease in the number of accidents in areas that have warning signs posted regarding possible dear crossings. The study showed that collisions dropped from 139 cases the previous year to 78 citywide once the signs were in place.  “Our study showed that warning signs really do reduce deer-vehicle collisions,” Found says.

If you or someone you love 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.

Chicago Officials Launch Pedastrian Safety Awareness Campaign

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I have written in the  past about the steps the city of Chicago has taken recently to promote the safety of pedestrians. This includes an ordinance passed that makes it illegal for not making a complete stop when pedestrians are waling at a cross walk.  This safety push by the city counsel and Mayor Emanual comes on the heals of 32 pedestrians hat were killed by motor vehicles in 2010. The Chicago Tribune reported last week that city officials are promoting a giant public relations campaign to spread the word pedestrian safety throughout the city.  Chicago officials have been highly involved in statewide legislation introduced last week
allow speed cameras on many Chicago streets to safeguard children and other pedestrians near schools and parks. Chicago received a $545,000 grant from the federal traffic safety agency to conduct a study released this summer that pinpointed specific pedestrian-related traffic threats, including hit-and-run accidents, and to zero in on hot spots for car crashes involving pedestrians. Fines range from $50 to $500. The  new state law would require drivers to stop, not simply yield, for pedestrians.

The campaign includes which includes safety messages stenciled on sidewalks, stickers inside taxis urging passengers to report reckless cab drivers and flags for people to carry to boost their visibility while crossing streets. The initiative was kicked off with the placement of 32 mannequins — representing pedestrians killed in 2010 crashes across the city — on Wacker Drive downtown from Michigan Avenue to Wells Street.

The city announced a goal to reduce pedestrian fatalities to zero by 2020. In addition to the 32 deaths last year, about 3,000 pedestrians were injured in vehicle-related accidents citywide, records show. The safety push is being conducted by the city’s Department of Transportation and Police Department, with funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The pedestrian safety blitz was hinted at months ago with the launch of the city website chicagopedestrianplan.org.

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, for a free consultation at 312-588-3384 or go to the firm website at www.blgchicago.com.

Serious Truck Accident Leads To 7 Fatalities Outside South Bend, IN

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USA Today  reports today that there was a serious truck accident that occurred on Interstate 90 near South Bend Indiana.  A mini-van carrying ten passengers either struck or slowed down to avoid a dear and were then struck from behind by a tractor trailer. Seven of the ten passengers in the mini-van died and the other three have been hospitalized.   All of the passengers in the mini-van were related and apparently some of them lived in the Chicago area. 

The semitrailer was going about 65 mph when it hit the van in the highway’s eastbound lanes shortly after the van struck a deer about 8 p.m., Smith said. Both vehicles ended up in the center median, blocking traffic in both directions for several hours.  Preliminary tests indicated that the trucker — Jesse Donovan, 24, of Johnston, R.I. — had not been drinking alcohol, Smith said. Donovan was released was a hospital after treatment for minor injuries.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a Chicago truck accident or Chicago semitrailer 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.

October 16-22 Is National Teen Driver Safety Week

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October 16 through 22 is National Teen Driver Safety Week, and AAA’s Foundation for Traffic Safety has been in the forefront about the state of teen drivers. AAA has concluded much more research needs to be done about the immediate transition for teens when they receive their license. As was reported in Forbes online, AAA has found that  about 50 percent of teens are more likely to crash in the first month of unsupervised driving than they are after a full year of experience driving on their own, and they are nearly twice as likely to crash in their first month as they are after two full years of experience.

The Foundation for Traffic Safety’s researchers analyzed the crashes of new drivers in North Carolina and found three common mistakes: failure to reduce speed, inattention, and failure to yield.  These three behaviors accounted for 57 percent of all the crashes in which teens were at least partially responsible during their first month of licensed driving. Additionally, when researchers looked at specific types of crashes in relation to how long the driver had been licensed, they found that some types of crashes occurred at relatively high rates at first then declined quickly with experience. Car crash types that declined more slowly appeared to result not from lack of understanding, but from failure to master certain driving skills.

A second report from the Foundation for Taffic Safety, titled, Transition to Unsupervised Driving, studied 38 families with teenage drivers in North Carolina by collecting data using in-vehicle cameras. A total of nearly 6,000 video clips were analyzed. The study followed the teens during the first six months of licensed driving without their parents in the car. (An earlier phase of the study collected data from cameras during the period when the teens were learning to drive under their parents’ supervision.)

What do we make of the studies? I think one thing state’s should consider is lengthening the time of supervised driving for teens, and possibly increasing the age of unsupervised driving to 17.  This is just a thought, and more research needs to be done, but it is clear that teen drivers (especially within their first few months of unsupervised driving) are one of the main culprits for car crashes.

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

Chicago City Council Enacts Ban On Texting And Bicycling

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I have written here in the past about the multiple steps the state of Illinois and the city have Chicago have taken to prohibit texting and driving. Bans on texting and driving have been enacted locally and statewide. As The Huffington Post and The Chicago Tribune reported last week, Chicago has taken another bold step to protect motorists and bike riders by passing an ordinance that makes it illegal to text and bicycle.

Although this seems to be an obvious law to enact, it goes to show how much cell phones and smart phones are intertwined in peoples everyday lives  and can be dangerous if they are not used in the proper setting.  The ordinance, sponsored by Ald. Margaret Laurino (39th Ward),  who is the chairman of Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety chairman, fines violators $20 on their first offense, and up to $100 for three or more violations. The fine increases up to $500 if the violation occurs during a vehicle collision. Fines in Chicago for motorists who are caught texting and driving start at $75.

The ban, which Laurino described as “common sense” in leveling the playing field between bicyclists and motorists goes into effect in November. It was approved by the council without dissent.

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 J. Bryant for a free consultation at 312-588-3384 or go to the firm website at www.blgchicago.com.

Oak Park, IL Considers Ban On Eating & Driving

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It is illegal to text and drive and Illinois. The law was enacted to prevent distracted drivers from causing car accidents. It was reported today in the Local Trib online site, that the town of Oak Park, which is located just west of Chicago, is considering an ordinance that would outlaw eating and driving. This is another step by local governments to help curb distracted driving accidents in their communities. A benefit that the town pointed out was that if tickets were issued, and are contested, they would be heard at the Village court call rather than the Cook County court call in Maywood. This apparently apparently would help the officer logistically attend court.

The ordinance was referred to the village’s legal department and it is not known when it will come back to the board. Trustees will be planning the 2012 budget for the next two months before going on their annual December hiatus, so the ordinance might not be addressed until next year.

It will be interesting to see if other Chicago area towns follow in Oak Park’s footsteps if this new law passes.

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

AAA Promoting “Heads Up Driving Week”

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We need to solute AAA and the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety,  for their promotion of “Heads Up Driving Week.”  This is the 3rd straight year that AAA has asked drivers to away distractions and focus only on the road.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety posted these startling statistics about the dangers of texting and driving:

  • More than one million people have died in car crashes over the past 25 years in the U.S., with 33,788 lives lost in 2010 alone.
  • Drivers spend more than half their time behind the wheel engaged in distracted behavior.
  • Using a cell phone while driving quadruples your risk of crashing.
  • Eating, smoking, adjusting music or rubbernecking while driving can be just as dangerous as texting, emailing or talking on a cell phone.
  • Passengers are one of the most frequently reported causes of distraction, with young children being four times more

    • AAA also stated on their website that the majority of the public is concerned about texting and driving: ”  themajority of drivers – 94% – agree that texting or emailing while driving is unacceptable and 87% support laws against reading, typing or sending text messages or emails while driving…”

    The question that remains is why the public continues to text and drive despite their strong sentiments against it?  As I mentioned in an earlier post, I think it goes back to the driving public’s willingness to adapt to new driving laws. There have been multiple reports that it took the public years to adapt to the seat belt laws that were enacted 50 years ago. Maybe it is taking the public time to adapt to a culture where it is socially unacceptable to text and drive.  Maybe it will take stiffer penalties for the public to begin changing their behavior.

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

    Cook County Sheriff Dept Teaching Dangers of Texting & Driving

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    CBS Chicago reported earlier this week that Cook County Sheriff, Tom Dart, and his department are traveling around to area high schools to preach the dangers of texting and driving. As we have learned through different studies the last few years, texting and driving can be equally as dangerous as drinking and driving. The Sheriffs used two important tools to drive this point home. The first was a driving simulator, which gave the students a first person view point of what can happen when texting and driving. They also show a video to students called “The Last Text,” which gives real life accounts of the dangers of texting and driving. You can watch the short film by clicking here and scrolling to the bottom of the page.

    It is amazing to me how times have changed. When I was in high school in the 90s, we had similar programs every year about the dangers of drinking and driving. Life for students who drive has become even more dangerous now that just about every teenager has a cell phone. It is not just kids who like to text and drive, which is why it is important that the Sheriff’s department and others are spreading the word to young people about its’ danger.  Hopefully this strong message at a young age will help them make safe decisions while driving as they get older.

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

    Dangerous Weekend For Pedestrians On Lake Shore Drive And Michigan Avenue

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    The Chicago Tribune reported yesterday that there were two (2) separate pedestrians struck by vehicles on Lake Shore Drive late friday night and early Saturday morning. About 1:15 a.m. Saturday, a man was crossing Lake Shore Drive near Monroe Street when he was hit by a Cadillac Seville and killed, officials said. Preliminary reports said the incident was a hit-and-run, but later reports stated a 45-year-old man was taken into custody. Police said the pedestrian accident may be related to driving under the influence, but as of 9 a.m., no charges have been filed against the driver.

    On Friday, a woman was left with serious injuries after she was struck by a CTA bus on Michigan Avenue near Wacker Drive, officials said. Shortly before 5 p.m., a CTA bus driver disobeyed a red light and struck the woman on the 200 block of North Michigan Avenue, said Police News Affairs Officer Dan O’Brien.

    It is unclear at this point if these vehicle accidents took place directly on cross walks. Though, I think it is fairly obvious that there was negligence by the drivers in both accident.  I have written previously about steps that Mayor Emanuel and the city council are taking to strengthen the local cross walk ordinances. They are asking for stricter enforcement by police and tougher penalties. After an ugly weekend like this, these new laws could not be enacted fast enough.

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

    Chicago Traffic Bottleneck Is The Worst In The Country

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    The Chicago Trubune reported this week about a new traffic survey released by the American Transportation Research Institute and the Federal Highway Administration, which discussed some of the worst traffic bottlenecks around the country. And the winner is… right here in Chicago. The interchange where the Eisenhower, Kennedy and Dan Ryan Expressways merge near downtown, ranked as the No. 1 bottleneck for truck traffic in the U.S.  The Kennedy-Edens Expressway junction on the North Side of Chicago came in at No. 8 in the northbound direction and No. 32 for southbound travel.

    The American Transportation Research Institute study used GPS and onboard monitoring equipment to track freight trucks along highways. The average speed recorded at the Circle Interchange was 29 mph; 47 mph on I-65 at I-80; 35 mph northbound on the Kennedy-Edens junction and 48 mph southbound, the report said.

    No statistics were taken on the number of vehicle accidents or which of these bottlenecks has the most trucking accident and car accidents.  Click here to view the survey results.

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