Tag Archives: Chicago car accident

Chicago To Add 50 New Speed Cameras Around City

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Multiple new outlets, including WGN News, report last week that the Chicago Department of Transportation (“CDOT”) plans to install 50 new speeder cameras around the city. CDOT spokespeoples have not announced specific locations but they will take into consideration crash data from different busy intersections and stretches of road along with requests from alderpeople. By state law, cameras can only be within 660 feet of a school or a park. These 50 new cameras will bring the total to 200 in the city.

These cameras have been scrutenized from the very beginning when they were installed under former mayor Rahm Emanual. Critics have called these cameras a crash grab by the city. I have yet to see any detailed studies that they have decreased the number of car crashes in the areas where the cameras were installed.

I think it is fair to point out that current mayor, Brandon Johnson, has at least been up front that the cameras are being installed to help revenue for the city: Mayor Brandon Johnson said revenue from the cameras would help, in part, to generate $11 million needed to restore more than 160 police positions tied to the consent decree and would make up less than one-tenth of one percent of the 2025 budget.

Though, he is denying that the new cameras are being installed to balance th city budget. “The City of Chicago does not rely on speed cameras to balance its budget…. Mayor Johnson believes that speed cameras should be utilized to promote traffic safety in an equitable way, not as a revenue source for the City.”

The CDOT spokesperson said 136 people were killed in traffic crashes on Chicago roadways in 2023. Speed was a factor in nearly 70 percent of those crashes. CDOT will publicize the cameras’ locations before they’re activated. Drivers will be given a 30-day grace period once the new cameras are installed and receive a warning in the mail.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, then call the Illinois injury attorneys at the Bryant Law Group for a free consultation at 312-614-1076 or go to the firm’s website a www.blgchicago.com.

Ford Recalls 270,000 Vehicles Over Safety Concern

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) announced this week that Ford Motor Company has recalled 270,000 vehicles over concerns battery failure. The recall affects certain 2021-2023 Bronco Sport and 2022-2023 Maverick vehicles.

The NHTSA announced that 12-volt battery in these vehicles may experience degradation and suddenly fail, which can result in a loss of electrical accessories, including the hazard lights, or cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.

Ford stated that dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the 12-volt battery free of charge.

No serious car crashes or traffic fatalities have been reported to date. If you own a 2021 to 2023 Bronco Sport or a 2022 to 2023 Maverick please consult with your local dealer to determine if you need a replacement.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, then call the Bryant Law Group, LLC for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076 or go directly to the firm’s website at www.blgchicago.com.

New Illinois Driver And Traffic Laws For 2025

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It’s a new year and there are dozens of new laws that take effect in Illinois. Most of the new laws that I reviewed have to do with health insurance and insurance coverage. There were only three (3) new traffic and/or driver laws in Illinois that take effect in 2025. I have outlined these new laws below:

HB 4592 – Allows the Secretary of State to issue mobile ID cards and driver’s licenses.

SB 0275 – The Secretary of State’s Office will be required to offer applicants the option to be issued an 8-year driver’s license within the next two years.

HB 5408 – Drivers will be prohibited from stopping or parking vehicles on shoulders of highways within a half-mile radius of the eastern entrance to Chicago’s O’Hare Airport.

Nothing too dramatic was passed last year by the Illinois legislature that will affect Illinois drivers in 2025, but it is always good to know any new laws that have been enacted.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, then call the Chicago injury lawyers at The Bryant Law Group, LLC at 312-614-1076 for a free legal consultation or go directly to the firm’s website at www.blgchicago.com.

Illinois State Police Partake In Traffic Safety Enforcement Along I-57

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According to Southern Illinois Now news outlet, the Illinois State Police (“ISP”) announced the results of the their traffic safety enforcement program that took place on I-57 from October 2 through October 7. The program covered I-57 from northern Champaign county all the way down to the southern tip of the state.

During this enforcement period the  599 speeding citations, 484 speeding warnings, 198 motor carrier safety inspections, 16 Move Over ‘Scott’s Law’ Citations, six criminal arrests and 46 suspended, revoked, no driver’s license citations.

More importantly there were zero (0) traffic fatalities and only five (5) car accidents reported. The Patrol officers from Troops 7, 9, and 10 with assistance from ISP center and south Special Operations Group’s Fatal Four team saturated the interstate, enforcing Illinois Vehicle Code violations, especially speeding.

State Police say speeding is a contributing factor in nearly one-third of all fatality crashes.  Officers also focused on Motor Carrier Safety Inspections for commercial motor vehicles.  Over a quarter of all fatal crashes involving large trucks occur on the Interstate highways.

The purpose of this operation was to encourage safer driving and decrease aggressive and unsafe driving behaviors. The program seemed to have work. The question will be whether intensive operations like this will affect drivers when the ISP is not out on full force.

If you or someone you know has been seriously injured in a Chicago car accident or Illinois truck accident, then call the Illinois accident attorneys at The Bryant Law Group for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076 or go to our website at www.blgchicago.com.

GMC Recalls SUV And Pick Up Trucks For Brake Fluid Defect

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) announced this week that GMC will be recalling approximately 450,000 SUVs and Trucks due to an electronic brake control module software that could fail to display a warning light when a loss of brake fluid takes place.

The recall includes 2023-2024 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESVs, 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2023-2024 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban 1500, 2023 GMC Sierra 1500, 2023-2024 GMC Yukon and Yukon XL,

GMC stated that the recall will include a free software update, which will hopefully eliminate the defect.

The NHTSA stated th a vehicle may be driven with low brake fluid if they aren’t provided the warning, which can reduce braking performance and increase the risk of a crash.

If you or a loved one have been injured in a Chicago car accident or an Illinois traffic accident involving a auto defect, then call the Chicago personal injury lawyers at the Bryant Law Group for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

“Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” Campaign Returns To Illinois For Labor Day Weekend

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Multiple police departments and county sheriff’s offices will be implementing the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled” campaign to curb drunk driving over Labor Day weekend. The “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” enforcement campaign runs from Aug. 19 through the early morning hours of Sept. 6. During this period, law enforcement will be stepping up efforts focused on impaired, unbuckled and distracted drivers.

The Lake County sheriff’s department recommended the following tips for drivers who may be out and about or headed to parties over the next couple weekends:

•Before the party starts, remember to designate a sober driver, and don’t let friends or family members drive impaired. Other important tips include:

• If you’re hosting, make sure all your guests designate a sober driver in advance or arrange ride-sharing or another sober ride home. Also serve lots of food and include nonalcoholic beverages at the party.

• If you do not have a designated driver, ask a sober friend for a ride home, call a cab, or stay where you are and sleep it off until you are sober.

• Don’t let friends leave your sight if you think they are about to drive impaired.

• Always buckle up – it is your best defense in a crash.

I think this is an important safety campaign, but I would like to see resources and messaging go towards prevention of distracted driving and phone use while driving. Regardless, be careful if you will be out on the roads over the upcoming holiday weekend.

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, then call the Chicago personal injury attorneys at the Bryant Law Group for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

Chicago City Council Holds Off On Speed Camera Vote

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Last year Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot included a controversial wrinkle in her yearly budget. The budget included fines for those caught on camera speeding between 6-10 miles per hour over the limit. These tickets are non-moving violations. Lightfood has touted this change as safety issue, but detractors to the fine saw it as nothing but a money grab.

An alderman has an ammendment that would eliminate the 6-10 mph fine and only fine those caught going 11 mph and over. The new law would make those tickets $100. The current fine is $35.

ABC 7 and Block Club Chicago reported that the amendment was deferred and continued to a later date by one of Mayor Lightfoot’s alies on the council. It is unclear why the mayor and her alies did not want the vote or why they did not allow at least a debate on the issue.

According to Block Club the speed cameras issued 2.3 million tickets in the first 10 months of 2021 after the speeding threshold was lowered to 6 mph — nearly as many as the city issued in 2018, 2019 and 2020 combined.

Mayor Lightfoot’s other argument is that if these fines are removed, the city would lose $45 million in revenue annually. I have yet to see any studies or data as to whether th 6-10 mph threshold actually makes the city’s streets safer. We will be following this closely in the weeks ahead.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, at 312-614-1076 for a free legal consultation.

Are Electronic Traffic Messages Safe For Drivers?

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When driving around Chicagoland area and most of the state of Illinois, drivers see electronic signs on highways. These messages range from reminders to buckle up, warn of upcoming construction and even list the number of traffic deaths in the state that year. These messages are called electronic dynamic message signs (“DMSs”).

These messages are obviously posted to help keep drivers on alert and hopefully keep them safe. Two researches recently published a paper after studying these sign for the Texas Department of Transportation. The study looked at the effectiveness of these signs and whether they actually improve safety for drivers in the immediate area of the signes.

The study compared crashes downstream of DMSs across the state during periods when traffic safety messages with fatality numbers were being displayed versus not being displayed. To control for other possible factors influencing their results, they also compared crashes on those same roadway segments before the fatality message campaign began and on roadway segments upstream of the DMSs. They concluded that the display of traffic safety messages with fatality numbers resulted in a 1.35% increase in traffic crashes up to 10 km downstream of the DMSs.

The researchers concluded that messages with fatality numbers are overly salient to drivers. In other words, the messaging on deaths can cloud a drivers brain with too much worry and ulitimately distract them. Another hypothesis of the study was that the design of the signs can cause information overload, and again distract a driver.

The study did not assess other factors such as crash type or other causal factors. I believe additional analysis is needed to ensure these numbers aren’t just a coincidence. There is additional informatin we need to know such as were there weather factors or were the drivers on their phones? Or were they struck by an impaired or distracted driver that was coming in the opposite direction? This information would give us a clearer answer as to wether the DMSs were actually causing the roads to be more dangerous or whehter these numbers are just an aberration.

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, please call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

University of Illinois Chicago Study Finds Speeder Cameras Save Lives

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The University of Illinois at Chicago (“UIC”) department of Urban Policy and Planning release a years long study regarding the safety and efficacy of Chicago’s speeder camers. The whole study can be found here.

The finding that has grabbed most of the headlines is that speeder cameras disproportionately ticket black and brown drivers over white drivers. “More particularly Black drivers are getting speed tickets. And the question then became why,” said Stacey Sutton, associate professor of UIC’s Department of Urban Planning and Policy. “Roadway density is different. Population density, there are fewer businesses for people yet so there may be a good propensity to speed in those areas. And that we’re seeing that would explain some of it.”

The study found that red light cameras also ticket minorities disproportionately. “Thirteen percent of all cameras within 350 feet of the freeway,” Sutton said, adding that many cameras near freeways ticket more. They are also more likely to ticket minorities because, she said, “Twenty-one percent are in majority-Black neighborhoods.”

Also interestently, the study did conclude the speeder cameras do make city streets safer. researchers found that speed cameras reduced fatal and serious crashes by 15%. According the data pulled by the City Streetsblog site found that Chicago speed cameras are doing their job by reducing the number of traffic injuries and deaths (at least in the areas where the cameras are located). The comparison of car crash data from 2012-13 (before CDOT installed the cameras) and 2018-19 found that while serious injury and fatal crashes increased by 21 percent citywide during this six-year period, the increase was only 2 percent within the eighth-mile zones near the cameras. And while speed-related crashes spiked by 64 percent citywide during this period, they only went up by 18 percent in camera zones.

It would be fair for city officials to argue that the speeder cameras were not implemented as just a money grab, which was what many critics (including me) argued when they were installed. Many, including myself, jumped to this conclusion because of all the studies performed on red light cameras up to that point found that they were safety neutral at best. That is, they provided no significant safety benefit at the intersections where they were installed. I think this is good news. But where does the city go next? Do they install more cameras? I think the answer could be a study into stretches of the city streets that are most dangerous. It needs to be determined if speeder cameras could help slow down the amount of car crashes in the most dangerous roads.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

NHTSA Reported Higher Traffic Deaths In 2020 Despite Pandemic

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) reported some disturbing numbers regarding 2020 traffic deaths. The administration reported an estimated 38,680 traffic fatalities in 2020, which was the highest number since 2007. It also reflects a  7.2 percent as compared to the 36,096 fatalities reported in 2019.

These numbers are so disturbing because there were so many less motorists on the road in 2020 due to the pandemic. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) shows vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in 2020 decreased by about 430.2 billion miles, or about a 13.2-percent decrease.  If there were fewer drivers on the road, why was it so much more dangerous to drive?

According to the NHTSA report driving patterns and behaviors changed significantly, and that drivers who remained on the roads engaged in more risky behavior, including speeding, failing to wear seat belts, and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Traffic data indicates that average speeds increased throughout the year, and examples of extreme speeds became more common, while the evidence also shows that fewer people involved in crashes used their seat belts.

My unscientific opinion is that drivers felt more emboldened to partake in the above risky behaviors because no one else was out on the roads. Or, certain drivers may have believed that with fewer drivers around them, there would be less police out looking for speeders. Whatever the reason for this behavior, it is a worrisome trend. All the numbers and statistics I have posted over last several years tended to point the finger at distracted driving as the main cause of increased fatalities. The NHTSA believes 2020 that it was more than distracted driving. It was clearly outright reckless speeding and drinking and driving. Let’s all hope that 2020 was an anomaly and drivers begin using more basic caution like wearing seatbelts, putting their phones down and driving a reasonable speed.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago injury lawyers at the Bryant Law Group for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.