Tag Archives: Chicago car accident

Hit And Run Accidents Reach Record High And What You Can Do To Protect Yourself

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According to a AAA Insurance press release, hit and run car accidents have reached an all time high.  AAA’s research done by the Foundation for Traffic Safety, found that a hit-and-run crash occurs every minute on U.S. roads. These hit and run accidents resulted in 2,049 deaths in 2016. This is the highest number on record and a 60 percent increase since 2009.

The report found that most victims of fatal hit-and-run crashes are pedestrians or bicyclists. Over the past 10 years, nearly 20 percent of all pedestrian deaths were caused by hit-and-run car crashes, meanwhile just one percent of all driver fatalities in that same time period.

It is illegal in every state to leave the scene of an accident, regardless of who caused the traffic accident. The penalty for leaving the scene varies depending on the whether there was property or personal injury damage. It is considered a Class A misdemeanor in Illinois. You should report the accident at once so the authorities can search for the other party immediately.

One thing I can recommend to Illinois drivers is make sure you have full auto coverage on your vehicles. This includes uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. What this means is that if you are struck by an uninsured vehicle or a vehicle that flees the scene and you are unable to collect their information, then your uninsured motorist coverage will kick in. This means that if you are injured in this type of accident, you can make a claim against your own insurance company for any injuries, medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and loss of a normal life damages. All of this can and should be covered by your own insurance company. Based on the above hit and run numbers provided by AAA, I cannot stress how important it is to purchase uninsured and underinsured motorists coverage from your insurance carrier.

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.

Illinois’ Distracted Driving Awareness Week Took Place At End Of April

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Illinois’ second annual Distracted Driving Awareness week took place the week of April 20-27.  Illinois Distracted Driving Awareness Week, is a collaboration between the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, AAA,  IDOT, Illinois State Police, the Illinois High School & College Driver Education Association and nearly 300 law enforcement agencies in Illinois.  According to the Illinois State Police, the use of a cell phone while driving increases your chances of getting into a car crash by 400%.

Once of the local law enforcement agents that participated in the initiative was the town of Naperville. According to the Naperville Sun, their local police department issued over 350 distracted driving tickets during the month of April.   221 of the tickets were written the week of April 23-27, as part Illinois Distracted Driving Awareness Week. The rest were issued as part of the Illinois Drop It And Drive program conducted from April 16-30, according to a Naperville police news release.

Current Illinois Distracted Driving Laws include: mobile phones may only be used in hands-free mode or wireless earpiece, and drivers under the age of 19 may not use a phone in any way while driving. Breaking distracted driving laws in Illinois is considered a traffic offense, and first violation carries a fine of $75. Second violation has a $100 fine, $125 for third, and $150 for each subsequent offense. Causing an accident which results in injury while breaking Illinois distracted driving laws is considered “Aggravated use of electronic communication device”, carrying much harsher fines and penalties.

Hopefully we will see area law enforcement continue to crack down on distracted drivers throughout the year and not just in April

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.

Illinois Traffic Fatalities Up Again In 2017

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According to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), 1080 people died from traffic accidents in 2017. That is up two (2) from the year before and more than what was recorded in 2014 and 2015.

“Distracted driving continues to be a concern, but it is incredibly hard to detect and enforce, some things we’ve noticed are an increase in number of motorcycle fatalities. Last year in February, it was warm enough for motorcyclists to be out on the road already.” said Kelsea Gurski, with IDOT.

IDOT said 158 motorcyclists were killed in traffic accidents last year. That was four more than had been killed the year before and 40 more than in 2014.

I have not seen any numbers to date trough the first two (2) months of 2018, so it is unclear whether we are at a better pace that 2017.

I agree with the IDOT spokesperson who stated that disctracted driving his hard to detect and enforce. As I have written in the past, the best solution, in my eyes, is to increase the fines and penalties for someone who is caught using their phone while driving. That is the only deterrent. I think it is fair to say that the stricter penalties for DUIs is one of the reasons we have seen a drop in drunk driving fatalities over the last 20 years.

If you or someone you know has been involved 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.

Niles, IL Police Department Initiate “No Texting Tuesdays”

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There has been a statewide ban on texting and driving in Illinois for the past several years. Most towns and cities around the state, including Niles, have their own local ordinance banning the practice. The question remains is how vigilant police departments are in enforcing the laws. Niles, a suburb of Chicago, decided in late 2017 to make a concerted effort to crack down cell phone use by drivers, when the initiated “no texting Tuesday’s.”

Niles police department decided to dedicate one day a week towards cracking down on texting drivers. The tickets they issue include a $100.00 fine, but they are not considered a moving violation and do not affect a person’s driving record.

I applaud this move by the Niles police department as it is clear they are taking the issue seriously. The problem with distracted drivers, in my eyes, is that despite the state law and local ordinances, this problem is not going away. According to the National Safety Council of Distracted Driving causes about 1.6 million crashes per year and those crashes cause about 330,000 injuries. They say one in every four accidents is caused by texting.  As I have written multiple times in the past, without harsher penalties, drivers will not be motivated to put their phones down. I think we need higher fines, and at least, consideration of making it a moving violation where the driving record can be affected.

If you or someone you love 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.

 

CTA Offering Free Bus And Train Rides For New Years Eve

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It is New Years Eve and for the sixth year in a row, the Chicago Transit Authority (“CTA”) is offering free bus and train rides. This is an excellent service for those who are going to be out and about and do not want to pay for cabs or an Uber ride. The free rides begin at 10 p.m. Sunday, December 31 until 4 a.m. Monday, January 1. MillerCoors’ Miller Lite is sponsoring the free ride program for the sixth straight year. As part of the sponsorship, Miller Lite covers the cost of all rides taken, plus the operating costs to run CTA service during the hours in which the promotion is offered. Last New Year’s Eve, CTA provided nearly 97,000 rides between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m.

“We are proud to once again offer safe, convenient and free transportation this New Year’s Eve,” said CTA President Dorval Carter, Jr. “We wish everyone a very Happy New Year and allow CTA be your designated driver for New Year’s Eve.”

There is absolutely no reason to ever drink and drive, but this is especially true if you live in the city and are going out on New Years. Enjoy the night, stay safe and take advantage of the free rides.

If you or someone you love 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.

IDOT And CMAP Propose New Initiatives To Relieve Traffic Gridlock In Chicago

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Those who commute by car to work everyday in and around Chicago, know how stressful the traffic can be. It can be stressful just trying to drive to the one of the airports, or coming down to the city over the weekend. Chicago has been documented as one of the worst cities in the U.S. when it comes to traffic gridlock. According to the Chicago Tribune, the Illinois Department of Transportation (“IDOT”) and (“CMAP”) have recently teamed up to plan alternative solutions for freeing up some of the traffic gridlock in and around Chicago.

One of their first proposed ideas is congestion pricing. Congestion pricing would allow motorists to pay for the privilege of bypassing gridlock. According to CMAP, a congestion pricing added lane can shorten a motorist’s morning rush-hour commute by a third to two-thirds. Rush-hour traffic in un-tolled lanes would drop by a quarter to a third, according to CMAP research.

The second suggestion is  using expressway shoulders for buses, an idea already used on the Jane Addams tollway and on Interstate 55.

Another suggestion to their plan would be installing sensors along expressways that gather real-time data on bottlenecks, so motorists know ahead of time which stretches to avoid.

This all seem like legitimate ideas, but do we know if they will really work? Also, how would the state pay for all of this? Once possible solution is an additional gas tax.

I am a little dubious of all of the above ideas. I am not an engineer or a traffic expert, but none of the plans take the actual number of total commuters of the road. The additional bus lane is a start, but I really cannot think of many people that would take a bus out of or into the city due time on the commute. I would like to see further study into high speed trains and/or additional train lines. If Metra and the state can offer faster trains and/or more trains in and out of the city, I believe we would have more commuters deciding to stay out of their vehicles. Of course I don’t know the cost and whether this is even feasible, but if we want less vehicles on the road, it seems to me the most viable option would be a faster train system.

If you or someone you love 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.

Illinois Traffic Fatalities Up In 2017

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I wrote a few months back about the increase in traffic fatalities in Illinois and the US in 2016. That trend continues so far in 2017. The Chicago Tribune reported last week that according to the National Safety Council, a safety advocacy group, that traffic fatalities are up 4% during the first half of 2017 versus the first half of 2016.

A spokesperson from the National Safety Council could not give a definitive reason for the increase. Although, they did mention that a couple reasons that could factor into these results are the lack of motorcycle helmet requirement in Illinois plus the increased speed limit on major interstates. Illinois increase their speed limit on certain sections of interstates to 70 mph. The Council also noted that pedestrians and bicyclists continue to be a concern as they are particularly vulnerable in cities with heavy traffic.

There was no discussion in the article or in the National Safety Council’s study about distracted driving or texting and driving.  The Council did warn that these numbers could continue to go up as the second half of the year is typically more deadly. This is due to increased holiday travel and winter weather, which often begins in November in certain parts of the country (including Illinois).

Unfortunately there are no solutions provided by the Council I would recommend, again, putting your phone down when behind the wheel. It is incredibly dangerous to text or search the internet while driving. Also, if you are walking or biking areas with heavy traffic, then always be aware of you surroundings. Sometimes drivers just aren’t paying attention.

If you or someone you love 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.

Harvard Professor Touting Tougher Penalties For Texting And Driving

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The Chicago Tribune published a fantastic interview with Jay Winsten, an associate dean of the Harvard School of Public Health, regarding his role in the creation of the designated driver and now his push prevent distracted driving. You can read the entire interview here.

Two things stand out in this interview for me. The first is that Professor Winsten points out that texting and driving continues to grow in this country because it doesn’t have the stigma that drinking and driving does. “There’s absolutely no social stigma connected with distracted driving today—unlike drunk driving, which took years to develop that social stigma. And Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), starting in 1980, had a lot to do with that. But today, you know, if someone asks me at a cocktail party what I’m working on, and I say distracted driving, they’ll laugh and talk about their own behavior and how they’ll have to change because they themselves are a distracted driver. There’s no stigma of any kind associated with it. . .”

The professor is absolutely right. Plus, he points out that not everyone drinks, let alone drinks and drives. On the other hand, almost everyone has a smart phone, young and old, and people have trouble putting them down.

The second point he makes is that anti-texting laws are difficult to enforce, thus people aren’t afraid to pick the phones up when behind the wheel.

So what is his solution? The first is to push for better technology. Technology (maybe an app) that will tract you phone usage while driving. Technology that could possibly limit your phone usage while driving. His other suggestion is a second round of legislation. Legislation with tougher fines and stricter enforcement. I’m going to pat myself on the back here, but this is something I’ve been writing about for at least 5 years. I have said over and over on this blog, that the laws against texting and driving need to have teeth. Legislators need to consider making texting and driving a Class A misdemeanor, which is the same as a first time DUI offense. I don’t necessarily believe all texting and driving offenders should be charged at that level, but at least in situations that result in traffic accidents, or personal injury.

Finally, Professor Winsten is pushing for another awareness campaign, similar to the designated driver ads we saw in the 1980s. With the help of Hollywood, he believes this could be just as effective in curbing distracted driving.

If you or someone you love has been 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.

Should We Worry Who Trump Appoints As NHTSA Director?

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The Detroit Free Press published an interesting article this week regarding regarding the pending appointment of a chief executive National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”). The NHTSA is the agency charged with regulating the safety of the nation’s automobiles. According to the article, consumer advocates are fearing the worst: that Trump will appoint an automobile company executive.

Rosemary Shahan, president of the Sacramento, Calif.-based Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety group, said she would not be surprised if Trump reaches out to an auto executive to fill the position of National Highway Traffic Safety administrator, vacant since Trump took office in January.

“He has a penchant of appointing people who have been regulated and allowing them to dismantle agencies,” Shahan continued. “You have all these companies who have been under investigations for safety violations recently. I wouldn’t be surprised if he appointed somebody from one of them. It would be consistent with his other appointments.”

Trump’s track record to date is not encouraging. He appointed an oil executing to run the EPA, which is the agency charged with protecting our environment. He appointed another oil executive as his Secretary of State.

We can’t jump to conclusions yet as no one has been appointed. But we should be wary of an appointment of an auto executive as there would be, in my opinion, an obvious conflict of interest if, say, a CEO of a major auto maker is appointment. Whose interest would they put first? The bottom line of the auto companies? Or, the safety of the consumer? Time will tell.

If you or someone you love 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.

Smart Highway Technology Coming To Jane Addams Tollway

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Many commuters may have noticed over the last several months that congestion has cleared on the Jane Addams Tollway, which is the stretch of I-90 that covers O’Hare airport up to the Wisconsin border. Widening and rebuilding efforts was recently completed as part of the second phase of the 2.5 billion dollar project to replace, expand and update the tollway. If you are looking for new tech to add to your vehicle, then consider using a CAN Display. 

The next phase is currently underway, according to WBEZ radio and the Illinois Tollway’s homepage, which involves building “smart road” technology. This third phase involves installation of dozens of huge metal archways and signs above the road located between O’Hare and Barrington. These metal archways are dynamic signs that display suggestions for drivers. For example, if there is an accident two miles down the road from driver, a sign over that lane may show a big red X, encouraging drivers to change lanes before they get to the problem spot. Another lane may show a green arrow, communicating to drivers that they should drive in that lane. Tollway engineers will remotely update the electric signs to reflect current conditions. The technology will also allow Pace buses to ride on the shoulders, much like they already do on the Stevenson Expressway in Chicago. The signs are expected to up and running within the next few months.

The purpose for this technology is three-fold: improve safety, reduce congestion, and develop an infrastructure for future technologies like driverless cars.

I am somewhat dubious of the future of driverless cars but the potential for safety and congestion improvements is encouraging.

Similar “smart” signs were installed in Seattle in 2010, which has seen positive results. The system (known as “active traffic management”) reduced weekday vehicle collisions by seven percent, and weekend car crashes went down by as much as 20 percent.

I will be interested to see the results of this new technology in the next few years. As I have written recently, the country as a while (and Illinois) has seen an increase in traffic fatalities over the last few years, and our city and state have been searching for answers. Hopefully adding “smart” technology is a step in the right direction.

If you or someone you love has been 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,