Tag Archives: Illinois personal injury lawyers

Illinois’ New Transportation Laws For 2026

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A new year is upon us and there are dozens of new Illinois laws that took effect on January 1. I thought it would be helpful to drivers to list all the transportation related bills that take effect this year:

House Bill 2751 – Prohibits the sale of cars by car dealers in locations other than their dealership.

Senate Bill 1507 – Requires UIC to conduct a safety review of traffic on DuSable Lake Shore Drive, including crash data and potential AI camera implementation.

Senate Bill 1883 – Prohibits obstructing vehicle-registration plates with tape or other devices.

House Bill 1120 – Eliminates the requirement for the Secretary of State to include a space on driver’s licenses for indicating blood type.

Senate Bill 2285 – Updates the definition of bicycle to also include low-speed electric bikes.

I will be interested to see the results of UIC’s traffic study on Lake Shore Drive and the effects AI cameras could add. Hopefully this leads to less congestion. Also, it’s interesting to see electric bikes be included within the definition of a “bicycle.” This would require electric bike users to obey the same rules of the road as bicyclists.

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in a Chicago traffic accident or a Chicago bicycle accident, then please call the Illinois personal injury lawyers at The Bryant Law Group, LLC., for a freel legal consultation at 312-614-1076 or you can go directly to the firm’s website at www.blgchicago.com.

Cook County Sheriff Department Gets Creative In Traffic Safety Initiative

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Fox 32 Chicago reported recently about the Cook County Sheriff Department’s initiative to stop drivers from going onto the shoulders of highways. According to the report, the department is using helicopters to spot drivers who illegally use the shoulder to bypass traffic.

In a late September social media post, the department reported that in a three hours span, deputies issued 120 tickets to motorists caught driving on the shoulder. Of those, 49 were flagged by helicopter surveillance. The Department announced that they had issued over 1000 tickets. Fines for these violations can run from $250 to $1000. Shoulder driving is a moving violation and will affect driver license status if the tickets are not amended.

The Sheriff’s Department insists that this initiative is about safety and not about meeting ticket quotas. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”), there were 585 fatal car crashes on road shoulders nationwide in 2023.

Think twice if you are considering taking the shoulder the next you are sitting in a traffic jam in or around Chicago. The Cook County Sheriff’s Department could be watching from above and issue you a very expensive ticket.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a Chicago traffic accident or Chicago truck accident, then call the Illinois personal injury lawyers at 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.

Toyota Recalls Popular Highlander SUV

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According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”), Toyota recalled their Grand Highlander SUV and Lexus TX due to an airbag defect. Specifically, the driver’s side curtain airbag might not deploy during a crash, increasing the chance of an injury. Toyota annunced that it will notify owners once a solution has been found.

The recall is for approximately 145,000 vehicles. In a press release Toyota stated that the affected airbags are located on the driver’s side, and the deployment problem might occur if the driver’s window is rolled down. Obviously, that could increase the risk of an injury during a crash that involves that area.

The recall was announced at the end of July and I have not seen that there has been a reslution to fix the defect. Nor have a seen any news that there have been any serious car accident injuries for traffic fatalaties due to this defect. If you own a Grand Higlander or Lexus TX, please reach out to your local Toyota dealer as soon as possible.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a Chicago car crash or have been injured by an auto defect in the Chicagoland area, please reach out to the Illinois personal injury lawyers at The Bryant Law Group, LLC. for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.