Federal Safe Driving Summit Announced

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As I previously noted in my accident blog, Illinois has considering stricter restrictions on the use of cell phones and message devices while driving. The federal government has now announced that they will be holding a summit in Washington D.C. on September 30 through October 1 to discuss enacting stricter regulations for drivers.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that the agenda  for the Distracted Driving Summit  will include over 200 safety experts, researchers, elected officials and members of the public will gather in Washington, D.C. to share their experiences, provide feedback and develop recommendations for reducing the growing safety risk that distracted driving is imposing on our nation’s roads.

The Distracted Driving Summit will bring together respected leaders from around the country for interactive sessions on the extent and impact of the problem, current research, regulations, best practices and other key topics. The two day Summit will feature five panels – on data, research, technology, policy, and outreach – with a range of experts discussing each topic.

One of the panels will include a discussion on advances in technology, specifically, text messaging and emailing, and how it has affected drivers.

It is clear that the government is believes cell phones and messaging devices can cause serious distraction to drivers and we could see even stricter regulations. To read more about the summit, click here, for the department of transportation home page.

If you or someone you know has been involved in an auto or trucking accident, then call Attorney Aaron J. Bryant for free consultation at 312-588-3384.

CDOT Teams With CPD To Make Crosswalks Safer

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This summer The Chicago Department of Transportation teamed  up with the Chicago Police Department on an undercover sting operation to protect pedestrians at crosswalks. Off-duty police officers are going undercover at busy intersections around the city of Chicago and are stopping drivers who do not stop for pedestrians and crosswalks. The fines for failure to yield run anywhere from $50 up to $500.  The effort is to help prevent auto and pedestrian accidents. 

“Providing a safe pedestrian environment is our No. 1 goal,” said CDOT Acting Commissioner Thomas Powers. “This initiative is designed to increase awareness among motorists about the importance of stopping for pedestrians. People should be able to safely cross the street in their neighborhoods.”

Remember to always be aware of pedestrians, especially at night, at the different busy crosswalks around the city. Not only is it safe practice, but you could avoid a hefty fine. To read the complete story from the CDOT website, clike here.

If you, or someone you know has been involved in an auto or trucking accident, then call attorney Aaron Bryant for a free consultation at 312-588-3384.

National Safety Counsel Calls For Ban On All Cell Phone Use While Driving

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In January of this year the National Safety Counsel announced that they are calling for a complete ban on cell phone use while driving.  The announcement is a plea to businesses, governors and legislators in all 50 states to enact laws banning the use of cell phones and messaging devices while driving.

A study from the Harvard Center of Risk Analysis estimates that cell phone use while driving contributes to 6 percent of crashes, which equates to 636,000 crashes, 330,000 injuries, 12,000 serious injuries and 2,600 deaths each year. The study also put the annual financial toll of cell phone-related crashes at $43 billion.

As I have mentioned before, the temptation is always there to answer calls, read texts and emails and even return text messages while driving. I have stopped reading and returning emails and texts while driving and only use the speaker phone. Based on these recent studies at Harvard and Virginia Tech, I believe we will be seeing stiffer restrictions on cell phone use and messaging devices in Illinois and around the country.

To read the complete story, click here.

Call attorney Aaron Bryant for a free consultation  at 312-588-3384, if you or someone you know has been involved in an accident,

11 Injured In CTA Bus Accident On Chicago’s South Side

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A CTA bus traveling on Ashland on Chicago’s South side apparently drove into a light pole at 7:30 this morning. The accident injured 10 passengers and the driver. 2 are believed to be in critical condition, 8 in fair condition and 1 in good condition. There are no reports as to what caused the driver to crash into the light pole.

To read the complete story in the Chicago Sun Times, click here.

If you or someone you know have been involved in an accident on a CTA bus or train, then call Chicago Attorney Aaron Bryant  at 312-588-3384 for a free consultation.

New Study Shows Texting While Driving Increases Auto Accident Rates Tenfold

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I think we have all experienced the following situation in the past. You are driving along and you receive a new email or text message on your Blackberry or IPhone. The temptation is there to read the message and even type a response. I have been in that situation countless times returning from Court or even during a long road trip. We all need to face the fact that returning that text is dangerous and can even be deadly. This has been confirmed in a new study performed by the Virginia Tech Traffic Institute, which revealed last week that when drivers texted, their collision risk was 23 times greater than when not texting.  In the moments before a car crash or near crash, drivers typically spent nearly five seconds looking at their devices — enough time at typical highway speeds to cover more than the length of a football field.

This is scary information and it has led me to re-think ever responding to a text or email while driving. So, the next time you are cruising around town, please ignore that text or email until you have a chance to stop your car or pull over. It could save your life and prevent auto accident.

To read more about the study reported on by the New York Times, click here.

If you or someone you know has been involved in a car or trucking accident, then call auto accident attorney Aaron Bryant for a free consultation at 312-588-3384.

Chicago Law Firms Filing Suits Over Cemetery Reburial Scheme

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The worst nightmare came true for many families on the Southside as they recently learned that their loved ones were not actually buried in the location that they originally believed at Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois. Lawsuits have already been filed for many of victims.  It will be interested to see how the attorneys for the victims quantify their injuries and how long it will take the cemetery to gather the remains for all of the family members and return them to the rightful place.

To read more about this tragic story and the lawsuits, click here.

If you or someone you know has been in involved in an accident, then call attorney Aaron Bryant for a free consultation at 312-588-3384.

Governor Quinn Repeals CTA Notice Requirement

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Illinois Governor Pat Quinn recently signed into law a repeal of tSection 41, the notice requirement for law suits against the CTA. This was a huge victory for injured victims. This Draconian law required a very detailed notice to the CTA within 6 months of the date of their accident. The notice requirement was used as a tactic to weed out lawsuits rather than use it as an investigative tool, which is why the legislation was originally enacted. Illinois case law showed that the CTA often used this notice requirement as a way to have cases dismissed when they did not meet the very particular notice requirements, often leaving innocent injury victims out of luck when trying to make an injury  claim against the CTA.

There are 2 important  things to remember about the effects of the new law. First, if your accident occurred on or before June 1, 2009, then the notice requirement is still in effect. Second, suits against the CTA still must be filed within 1 year of the accident.  This is shorter than the normal 2 year statute of limitations for most personal injury actions in Illinois.

To read more about the repeal of Section 41, click here

If you or someone you know was involved in an accident on a CTA bus or train, then call Attorney Aaron Bryant at 312-388-3384 for a free consultation.

October is the deadliest month for drivers

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A new report from the University of Michigan Transportation Safety Institute in Ann Arbor has concluded that October is the deadliest month on the road for drivers. No single reason could be pinpointed for this trend. The study was done between 1994 and 2006.

If you are involved in a car accident, contact The Bryant Law Group for a free consultation, 312-588-3384.  To read more about this study, click here