Tag Archives: Chicago car crash

New Red Light Cameras Added To Michigan Avenue In Downtown Chicago

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Chicago’s busiest shopping district is the home of four (4) new red light cameras. The cameras were installed at North Michigan Avenue and East Ontario Street and South Michigan Avenue and East Jackson Boulevard.

The cameras will start ticketing drivers who run red lights starting on February 4. As I have written numerous times in the past, the red light cameras have undergone intense scrutiny. Class action lawsuits have been filed due to the effectiveness of the cameras and also based on the fraudulent circumstances the initial company the city used to install the cameras. Academic studies have been performed, which have concluded that the light have an overall neutral safety effect. In other words, they don’t actually reduce the number of accidents. The general public and media outlets have argued that the cameras are merely a money maker.

Regardless, despite all the controversy, the city is standing by the safety aspects touted by these cameras.   “I think over time you’re going to see more cameras placed downtown because we have a lot of (car) accidents, a lot of pedestrians issues, we have a lot of bike issues that are growing,” said Ald. Anthony Beale (9th Ward). “And so, this is the first step towards revamping the entire system.”

If one of these t cameras catch you driving through a red light, you will receive a $100.00 ticket. These tickets are not considered moving violations and will not affect your driving record.

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

Illinois Passes New Bicyclist Safety Law

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According to various news outlets, the Illinois passed HB 1784 last week, which allows motorists to pass cyclists in no-passing zones and permits bicycling on road shoulders. Under the new law, a driver is allowed to cross into the oncoming lane in a no-passing zone to safely pass a cyclist who is riding at less than half the posted speed limit when there is sufficient distance to do so. Drivers must not exceed the speed limit and pass with at least three feet of clearance.The new law will take effect on January 1, 2018.

The purpose of the law is aimed at preventing vehicles from trying to  squeeze by a bicyclist while in the same lane, which can lead to sideswipe crashes.

This seems like an obvious bill to pass, but sometimes the obvious isn’t always codified into state or local law. I think this is important (especially in Chicago), where we are seeing more an more bicyclists on city streets and major roads throughout the state. Now motorists should not be hesitant to safely switch lanes in order to avoid contact with a bicyclists. Motorists can now do this legally.

If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a Chicago bike accident or Chicago car crash, please call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

Chicago Mayor Introduces Safety Upgrades On City Trucks

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The Chicago Tribune reported last month that Mayor Rahm Emanuel received preliminary approval from City Council to install special safeguards on city trucks.

The purpose of these upgrades is to help the make the streets safer for bicyclists. According to the article, this type of safety equipment is being installed on trucks in other large cities throughout the country. The cost for these upgrades is estimated at $400,000 annually, which will cost about $3,300 per vehicle. By 2026,  1,700 city trucks will have the new equipment. Contractors with city work will be expected to upgrade 25 percent of their trucks each year, with their full fleets having the guards and mirrors installed in four years.

Although Mayor Emanuel has taken a lot of heat the last few years regarding the red light and speeder cameras, but I applaud him for the steps he has taken to help protect bicyclists and pedestrians. Chicagoans know that this is one of the best cities in the country for bicyclists, with dedicated bike lanes and special guard rails, being installed at a rapid rate. Hopefully this will be another step in preventing bicycle accidents in Chicago.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a Chicago car crash or Chicago bicycle accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

City of Chicago Agrees To $38 Million Settlement In Red Light Camera Lawsuit

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The Chicago Tribune reported this week that the City of Chicago has come to a preliminary agreement with a class of plaintiffs who sued to city for unfair practices with the red light cameras. The proposed settlement is for $38.75 million, but still needs final approval from city counsel.

The class action lawsuit, which was filed in March 2015 and received class certification last year, alleged that the city violated its own rules by failing to send a second notice of a violation before guilt was determined, and by doubling the fine for late payment of tickets sooner than allowed. Following the filing of this lawsuit, city administration responded by changing the city ordinance to eliminate the requirement for a second notice. In September 2016, the city passed an ordinance to give those who hadn’t gotten second notices from 2010 to 2015 a do-over, sending notices giving people the right to request an administrative hearing to contest their tickets. Emanuel’s lawyers argued that brought them into compliance.

As part of this settlement, approximately 1.2 million people will be receiving 50% back on previously paid tickets.   Those who qualify will receive letters in the mail in upcoming months notifying them they were part of the suit and telling them how to collect their refunds.  Under the settlement, people who got tickets from 2010 to 2015 will be paid out of a $26.75 million pot. The city also will forgive another $12 million in motorists’ unpaid tickets.

I think this a positive development. I think it shows the city is being held accountable for their actions. I have long written on this site that the red light cameras were a money grab for the city. Looking at these lawsuits, settlements, indictments and convictions for the red light camera company Redflex, all I can do is sort of chuckle. It is sad for the city. What is even more sad is that the cameras didn’t make the city safer. Study after study showed that the net benefit of the cameras was a push at best. It makes me think I was right all along. These never should have been installed.

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

Chicago Aldermen Propose Use Of “Textalyzer” By City Police

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The Chicago Tribune reported this week that two Chicago Aldermen are interested in new traffic technology called a Textalyzer, a device developed by Israeli company Cellebrite — which can access a phone’s operating system to check whether it was being used to text, email or perform other functions. Its name is a play on the Breathalyzer, which can help determine whether a driver is legally drunk.

Ald. Ed Burke, 14th, and Ald. Anthony Beale, 9th, on Wednesday introduced a resolution calling on the Police Department to appear before a City Council committee “to address the use of emerging technology, such as a Textalyzer, in enforcing the city’s existing traffic laws or the investigation of vehicle accidents.”

I have written on the dangers of texting and driving on this site ad nauseum through the years, as I believe it has been proven that distracted driving is an epidemic in this country. Far too many people text and drive and it is causing serious traffic accidents and sometimes traffic fatalities. My problem with this proposal is that it calls into question whether this type of technology invades on peoples 4th amendment right to privacy. Specifically, the constitutional right against illegal search and seizures. Many people do not realize that when stopped by policy they do not have to submit to a breathalyzer or other sobriety tests. Further, people have the right refuse an officer’s request to search their vehicles. Although, it must be noted that if an officer believes there is probable cause for a search they can go ahead and do so (though anything found in such a search could be subject to the Court’s scrutiny as to whether the search was legal). The point here is whether police should have the right to seize a drivers phone and perform a “Textalyzer” analysis to determine if the driver had been using the phone at the time of the crash? I don’t believe so. It could be argued that the phone could be seized if there is overwhelming evidence that the phone was being used prior to the stop (i.e. the officer saw the driver typing into the phone while driving or the phone was in the drivers lap following a car accident).

These are all questions that need to be answered prior to the city moving forward and handing over this technology to police officers. I do not believe the City Council should rubber stamp this technology without a careful determination of the constitutional implications. Further, there is the question of whether this type of technology would be a deterrent for drivers to use their phones while behind the wheel.

If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a Chicago car crash or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation.

Uber Suspends Self-Driving Test Vehicles Following Phoenix Car Accident

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The Associated Press reported last month about a self-driving Uber vehicle that flipped over on its’ side after a vehicle cut in front it. The self-driving Uber was a test vehicle carrying two test passengers. Luckily no one was hurt in the accident. Uber released a statement following this traffic accident that they were temporarily suspending their self-driving program at their three test locations (Phoenix, San Francisco and Pittsburgh), while they investigate the accident.

The question that remain, and most be answered by auto-makers and ride-share companies, is whether these self-driving vehicles are safe. More specifically, would that vehicle have tipped over if there was a human behind the wheel.

t isn’t the first safety issue involving the self-driving vehicles or with Uber in particular. California suspended the self-driving Uber program at the end of last year due a recurrence of the vehicles running red lights.  And last year a Tesla owner died in an car accident, when his vehicle misread a truck in front of it as an overhead traffic sign.

These are issues that make me and lawmakers dubious of self-driving vehicles. One issue that caught my interest from the AP article was that Arizona was only requiring Uber to carry to minimum insurance for its’ test self-driving vehicles, which is $15,000 per person / $30,000 per accident. I don’t live in Arizona but I have friends and family who do, and I think it is unconscionable that the state would not require higher limits on self-driving Uber vehicles, when the dangers are so unknown. What if someone would have been seriously injured or had died in that recent accident.? The coverage from Uber’s insurance would not have been able to provide proper compensation to cover the  medical bills, lost wages and serious pain and suffering or loss enjoyment of life.

Many issues remain, and I think it is fair to say the roads are not ready to take on self-driving vehicles.

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

U.S. Traffic Deaths Highest Since 2007

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The National Safety Counsel reported today that there were 40,200, a 6 percent gain from 2015 and up 14 percent from 2014. This is the first time since 2007 that traffic fatalities exceeded 40,000 in U.S.

As I wrote last month, this is a disturbing trend due advances in auto safety technology that has been introduced in the last ten years. The increase in traffic deaths have been previously blamed on more drivers being on the road due to an improved economy. I believe that this was a legitimate hypothesis for 2012 through 2014 but it doesn’t explain why number keeps increasing.

As I previously discussed last month, the only conclusion I can come to is that people continue to use their phones while behind the wheel. The The National Safety Council, a nonprofit safety advocacy group,  released survey that support this conclusion. Their survey findings showed that 47 percent of motorists are comfortable texting while driving. Some 10 percent of drivers reported driving drunk, and 43 percent of them were involved in a crash while impaired, the group said. The survey also found that 16 percent said they don’t wear seatbelts on every trip, while 25 percent are comfortable speeding on residential streets.

To stem the tide, the group renewed a call for a total ban on mobile phone use behind the wheel, even hands-free systems. It also called for mandatory ignition interlocks for convicted drunk drivers, a three-tiered driver licensing system for all new drivers under 21 and other steps to curb car crashes.

I can’t say that I agree with the ban on hands free devices, but I am still convinced that there needs to be stiffer penalties on those who text and drive. This is especially true when the phone use results in a car crash that results in a personal injury.

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

 

New Illinois Traffic Laws For 2017

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January is almost over and I thought it would be important to list the new traffic laws that went into effect in 2017:

  1. Scott’s Law, also referred to as the “move over” law, requires drivers to slow down or change lanes when driving by a stopped emergency vehicle. Beginning in 2017, the law also will include any vehicle on the side of the road with hazard lights flashing, according to a statement from the Illinois State Police.
  2. Speeding between 26 mph and 35 mph over the posted limit is a Class B misdemeanor. A class B misdemeanor in Illinois carries a maximum penalty of of 180 days in county jail, with fines up to $1500.
  3. Driving more than 35 mph over the speed limit is now considered a Class A misdemeanor. A Class A misdemeanor in Illinois is punishable up to a year in jail with fines up to $2,500.
  4. Those who have been convicted of driving without insurance could have their vehicle impounded if they are stopped by police within 12 months of the first citation.
  5. Fines will double for drivers caught trying to go around lowered railroad crossing gates. Under a new amendment to the Illinois Vehicle Code, drivers who disregard activated gates and warning lights at railroad crossings will face a fine of $500 for a first offense and $1,000 for subsequent offenses.

It must be pointed out that if someone who is charged with speeding over 25 mph over the speed limit there is a possibility the ticket could be amended to below 25 mph in order to avoid a misdemeanor conviction. This is not guaranteed. It could depend on the prosecutor and the judge handling the matter and whether the driver has a clean driving record. You will be required to hire an attorney if you are charged with a misdemeanor.

Drive safely and follow the rules of the road. Remember, if you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a Chicago car crash or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

NHTSA: Traffic Fatalities Up 8% In 2016

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The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) announced some unfortunate news in a press release last week that traffic fatalities were up 8% last year from the year before for the first nine months of each year. The agency’s statistical projection found an estimated 27,875 people died in vehicle accidents during that time in 2016, while 25,808 fatalities were reported for that same period in 2015. Also, the fatality rate for 2016’s first nine months increased to 1.15 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. That represents an increase from 1.10 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled during the first nine months of 2015. The agency noted it relied on the same methodology used to generate the estimates for the first nine months of 2016 as it did to record the fatalities for 2015.

The various articles I have read don’t seem to point any specific reason why. The discouraging news is that these numbers are coming off a year where traffic deaths increased 7% in 2015 over 2014. Experts believe the increased travel is mostly a result of an improved economy and low gas prices. But NHTSA’s data experts said increased travel and a better economy alone can’t explain the rise in deaths. “We still have to figure out what is underlying those lives lost,” NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said. “If it was simple, we would already know that.”

The increase in deaths is especially concerning because it has happened at time when cars are safer than ever. Nearly all new cars and light trucks now have electronic stability control and rearview cameras, for example. Automakers are also beginning to equip more cars with sophisticated safety technology like adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency-braking and blind-spot monitoring.

So what is the answer? The NHTSA isn’t giving us any plausible explanation. My own theory is that people continue to use their phones when driving. They continue to text and not take advantage of hands-free technology. I think this will continue to be the case as long as the penalties for texting and driving are weak. In my opinion, if an injury occurs from an accident where texting and driving was the cause, then the case needs to be treated like a DUI. At the very least the driver needs to be charged with a Class A misdemeanor. Without significant repercussions, drivers will not be deterred from typing on their phones while driving. This is the only explanation I can come up with as to why traffic fatalities have continued to rise the last two years.

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

 

IDOT Pushes “Winter Weather – Get It Together”

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If you live in the Chicago area, or really anywhere in the Midwest, you know that winter is upon us. We had our first snow last weekend and we are looking at upwards of 12 inches of snow through tonight in the Chicagoland area. The Illinois Department of Transportation (“IDOT”) has been working hard to help drivers avoid traffic accidents and stay safe on the roads during the winter months. IDOT issued a press release recently called “Winter Weather – Get It Together,” which provides a list of driving tips to use when the roads are snowy and icy. Below is a list of driving tips:

  • Always wear a seat belt. It’s the law in Illinois.
  • Slow down. Slower speeds, slower acceleration, slower steering and slower braking all are required in winter driving conditions.
  • Drop it and drive. Put down the handheld devices – it, too, is the law in Illinois.
  • Don’t crowd the plow. A snow plow operator’s field of vision is restricted. You may see him, but he may not see you.
  • Avoid using cruise control in snow and ice.
  • Watch out for black ice on roads that appear clear but can be treacherous.
  • Be especially careful approaching intersections, ramps, bridges and shady areas. All of them are prone to icing.
  • Do not travel during bad weather unless absolutely necessary. If you do have to make a trip, check the forecast and make sure someone is aware of your travel route. Consider taking public transportation if it is an option.
  • Prepare an emergency car care kit that contains jumper cables, flares or reflectors, windshield washer fluid, a small ice scraper, traction material, blankets, non-perishable food and a first aid kit.
  • Carry a cell phone and a car charger in case of emergency.
  • Follow Scott’s Law. Slow down and move over for stopped emergency, construction and maintenance vehicles. ·
  • For more winter driving tips, check out this short IDOT video

Please be careful when driving in winter weather, but if you or someone you love is injured in a Chicago car crash or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation. Call 312-614-1076 for a free legal consultation.