Tag Archives: Chicago traffic accident

December Is National Impaired Driving Awareness Month

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I have written in recent weeks that traffic deaths in Illinois and around the country are far exceeding previous years. According to the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, more than 20,000 people died in car crashes during the first six months of 2021, a nearly 20% rise from the year prior. According to his advocacy group, a large portion of these traffic deaths are due to impaired driving.

“What we’re seeing in Illinois is similar to what’s happening throughout the country in that approximately 30% of people who are being killed are in alcohol-related crashes,” said Cathy Chase, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. “That’s really a terrifying number when you consider most people know that it’s not OK to drive while impaired, and yet people are still doing it.”

With traffic deaths up and traffic crashes due to impaired driving, the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety are pushing for stricter laws to curb this trend. First, the group recommends that all states require ignition interlock devices for all convicted drunk driving offenders. Currently 34 states (including Illinois) already have this law in place.

The organization also is pushing for new technology that could help preven car accidents. Specifically features like automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning systems, and forward-collision warnings.

Finally, the organization also is pushing states to lower the legal blood alcohol level to .05%. Currenty, the legal minimum is .08 in most states.

As I wrote earlier this week, multiple Chicago police and sheriff agencies are increasing patrols for the holiday season to hopefully remind people to buckle up and to avoid driving if they have been drinking. This recent trend is not encouraging, but these type of accident are easily preventable. Order an uber or lyft or designate a driver for your holiday party. It’s that easy.

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

Suburban Chicago Police Step Up Holiday Traffic Patrols

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The holiday season is here and many people will be on the road following Christmas parties. In response to the increased traffic and potential for impaired drivers, many suburban police departments are increasing their traffic patrols.

The Lake County, Illinois Sheriff’s Department announced this week that rom December 17 through January 3, more officers will be out patrolling roadway as part of a statewide traffic safety initiative targeting impaired drivers.

“Many people enjoy holiday parties this time of the year, but please be do not let that fun party end in tragedy by mixing alcohol or drugs into the driving equation,” said Lake County Sheriff John D. Idleburg. “Plan ahead and take a ride share or grab a ride with someone sober if you will be drinking or ingesting cannabis.”

If you are out and about during the holiday season, do not hesitate calling a rideshare, taxi or designate a driver. It is incredibly dangerous to get behind the wheel after drinking. It is also expensive and can ruin lives, if someone is charged with a DUI.

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

Chicago Drivers Lost 104 Hours In Traffic This Year

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According to a new study by the taffic analytics company, Inrix, the average Chicago driver spent 104 hours in traffic so far this year. That is the most time spent in the car for drivers in any major U.S. city. The study also stated that Chicago is the second most congested U.S. city, just behind New York. And they rank 6th most congested world wide.

This numbers are pretty somber considering traffic numbers are still below pre-pandemic levels. Regardless, the Illinois Department of Tranportation head, Omer Osman, is optimistic that changes can be made to help reduce congestion. He told reporters recently that the state also plans to add two lanes to I-55 from I-294 to downtown Chicago, among other work on the expressway. Funding for these projects is expected to come from the recently passed federal infrastructure bill.

Osmen does not believe widening the roads is the final answer: “Anyone that thinks just widening a road by a lane is going to solve all of our traffic problems, that’s not realistic,” he said. “There’s not one kind of silver bullet.”

Those of us who live in Chicago are hopeful the completion of the Jane Byrne interchange (where 1-90/94 meets I-290), will hopefully aleviate alot of the downtown traffic. The construction is expected to be “substantially” completed some time in 2022.

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

Chicago E-Scooter Program Will Become Permanent

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Multiple local news outlets reported that the Chicago Department of Transportation (“CDOT”) has pushed forward a vote make Chicago’s -e-scooter program permanent after two sperate pilot programs. The City’s transportation committee approved making the program permanent and the entire city council will vote to enact today.

If approved the new program will authorize the transportation department to issue up to three licenses to scooter-sharing companies, with each company free to deploy 2,000 scooters per day, from 5 a.m. to midnight. The city will receive $1 per day for each scooter plus a 9% lease tax.

The new program will make the scooter more available throughout the city and for a longer period of time. The scooters will not be allowed on the lakefront. The technology will disable the scooter once they leave an authorized zone.

The safety issue, which appears to have been addressed by the transportation committee, is that the scooters will not work on sidewalks. CDOT has apparently been told that the technology will shut down a scooter once a rider tries to use on a sidewalk. I am somewhat dubious of this program due to the already crowded streets and bike lanes. The reporting on the committee meeting did now say whether scooters will be designated to bike lanes. If they are, will this create an issue between scooter riders and bicyclists? Also, will helmets be required for all scooter riders. These are some of the safety issues I believe need to discussed. Regardless, this program is moving forward as the vote is expected to pass today.

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

IDOT Offering Free Child Car Seat Safety Check This Saturday

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The Illinois Department of Transportation (“IDOT”) is offering a free child seat safety check throughout the state this Saturday September 25. If you have a child car seat that needs to be installed or if you want IDOT installation experts to check the safety of your seat, you can go to one of various locations this Saturday.

During Seat Check Saturday, technicians will provide instruction on how to install and use car seats correctly and help determine if your children are in the right seat for their age, height and weight. In Illinois and across the United States, an estimated four out of five car seats are installed incorrectly, contributing to traffic crashes as a leading cause of death of children. The latest National Highway Traffic Safety Administration research shows that more than one-third of children 12 and younger who died in car crashes were not properly restrained. 

State law requires children to ride in a child safety seat until age 8 and rear-facing until age 2.

You can go to  buckleupSaturdayillinois.org and search the map for a location near you.

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in a Chicago traffic accident or a Chicago truck crash, please call Chicago personal injury lawyers at The Bryant Law Group, LLC. for a free legal consultation at 312-514-1076.

Illinois Comptroller To Postpone Due Date For Traffic Fines

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Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza announced this week that her office will not be deducting past due traffic and parking fines and costs from the tax returns of the poor and moderately income residents. The office of the comptroller has the power to collect past due traffic and parking fees from residents’ tax returns. Her office announced the following: “The Illinois Office of Comptroller will not be deducting any fines or fees from the tax returns of Illinois’ working poor this year…Low- and moderate-income taxpayers in Illinois, who qualify for the state-earned income tax credit will receive their entire tax refund this year.”

It must be pointed out that the $15 million that is past due is not being forgiven. Payment will instead be due next year. The office also pointed out that the grace period could be extended if there is not a significant economic recovery due to the pandemic. This is no doubt a huge relief for many Chicagoans and residents around the state of Illinois who have been hit hard economically the covid-19 pandemic. Hopefully this will provide many with some financial breathing room.

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

Illinois State Police Renew ‘Click It Or Ticket’ Campaign

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The Illinois State Police (“ISP”) have rolled out their ‘Click-It or Ticket’ traffic campaign for November. State police are focused on motorist safety as traffic congestion has ticked from earlier in the year due to the Covid-19 pandemic shut down.

In November, the ISP will increase their daytime and nighttime patrols to ensure the safety of vehicle travelers through enforcement of all traffic safety laws. 

– Driving Under the Influence (DUI);
– Safety Belt and Child Restraint use;
– Speeding; and
– Distracted Driving

According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, impaired driving is a factor in more than 30 percent of traffic deaths in Illinois. Likewise, speeding is a factor in nearly 35 percent of fatal crashes; and, nearly 50 percent of vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes were known to not be wearing a seatbelt. No matter what time of year it is remember to buckle up and put your phone down when you get behind the wheel. You will save your own life and protect your passengers and those around you.

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

Chicago Mayor Proposes Rideshare Tax Increase

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Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot addressed the city council and the media earlier this week to discuss her proposed budget. I wrote about part of her plan in my last post. As discussed, Lightfoot has earmarked $20 million towards Chicago’s department of transportation to help improve bus lines in and around downtown. The goal is to make bus trips quicker and to encourage for CTA riders, which in turn will hopefully decrease the amount of traffic congestion downtown.

Lightfoot also proposed drastic increases to rideshares that take place in the downtown loop corridor. Her reasoning is first to raise money to fill a budget gap, and also to hopefully decrease the amount of Uber and Lyft vehicles clogging the dowtown area.

Chicago Curbed provided a nice of summaary of the proposed increases: ” Across the city, single riders will pay $1.25, about 53 cents more than they do now. In a special downtown zone, single trips fees will add up to $3 which will total to $2.28 more than riders pay now. Opting for a shared trip in the downtown zone will cost riders $1.25 in fees, about 53 cents more than now. The only riders to pay less in fees, only 7 cents, are those selecting shared rides in neighborhoods outside the downtown zone. “

I understand that many local residents will be upset about this new fees should the proposal pass. But similar fees are already going on in big cities like New York and San Francisco. There is a clear traffic congestion problem downtown, which has been caused, in party, by the increase in the number of rideshare vehicles swamping the loop during rush hour. I understand Lightfoot’s reasoning hear and would not be opposed seeing this within the new budget.

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

CDOT Proposing New Greenway And Bike Route In Lincoln Park Neighborhood

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Multiple news outlets reported last week that the Chicago Department of Transportation (“CDOT”) has proposed a new pedestrian and bicycle route on Dickens Avenue in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. The proposed route would run east-west on Dickens from Clybourn Street all the way to the lakefront trail. The proposed pathway would allow much easier access for pedestrians and bicyclists to access the Lincoln Park, Lincoln Park Zoo and the lakefront.

The proposal has been named the Dickens Avenue Greenway Project and it would lower the speed limit to 20 miles per hour, add speed bumps and raised crosswalks with an aim to create an east/west bike route between a low-traffic connection between the 606 and the lakefront trail. Proponents include 43rd Ward Alderman Michelle Smith, 43rd Ward Alderman, who issued a statement saying “CDOT approached us about the greenway concept. Constituents have been asking for solutions to increase traffic safety.” Opponents have stated they have concerns about increased bicycle traffic, which would just be a duplicate of the dedicated bicycle lanes one block south on Armitage Avenue.

I would like to see the full proposal from CDOT, which would include an actual layout of the design of the plan. I actually live in this neighborhood, and am a proponent of increasing green traffic solutions. If this could possibly decrease the amount of vehicle traffic in the neighborhood, then I think this is a no-brainer. I just would like to see the full plan first.

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

New Study: Illinois Traffic Fatalities Rose Over Last 5 Years

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The online automobile insurance company, Esurance, released a new study that traffic fatalities have risen in the United States over the last five (5) years. Illinois was once of the states that saw an increase.

The study looked at the raw number, but also included the main contributed causes to fatal car accidents during this period. According to the study, crash fatalities in Illinois went up from 991 in 2013 to 1,096 in 2017, an 11% increase.

The number one cause of traffic fatalities in the state was speed, which was 42.2% of deadly crashes. Driving under the influence had 27.3% of crashes while distracted driving had 7.2% and drug-related car crashes had 3.8%.

Over the five year period, percentage of alcohol related fatalities decreased from 32.7% down to 27.3%. Meanwhile, the number of distracted driving crashes increased from 5.6% to 7.2%.

I am somewhat surprised to see some of these numbers. First, I would have assumed larger percentage would have been attributed to distracted drivers. Although, unsurprisingly, we did see distracted driving crashes did increase. We know that distracted driving has become an epidemic in the country. I was happy to see that this year stricter traffic laws were finally enacted in Illinois to combat this issue. As I wrote last month, police officers no longer issue warnings for first offenses. Also, any type of hand held phone use while driving is considered a moving violation, which is now a misdemeanor. With that comes higher fines and it is much easier to have your license suspended ( 3 offenses within a 12 month period).

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