Tag Archives: traffic accidents

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.

IDOT Urging Pedestrians & Motorists To Pay Attention In Order to Avoid Accidents

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As I wrote recently, traffic accident and traffic fatalities were up in Illinois in 2015 from 2014 and appear to up again in 2016. More specifically, car accidents involving pedestrians are up in Illinois from this time last. The Chicago Tribune took note of these recent trend in article asking the question why? According to the Illinois Department of Transportation (“IDOT”), they are urging both pedestrians and drivers to put their phones down and focus on the the road in front of them.

“We urge pedestrians to use caution and common sense when crossing the street — use crosswalks where available and make sure to pay attention to your surroundings. We urge motorists to be cautious as well — be alert for pedestrians, especially when approaching intersections,” IDOT Secretary Randall Blankenhorn said in a statement.

Some local suburbs, including Naperville, are making an effort ticket distracted drivers. Naperville joined several other suburbs recently along the Route 59 corridor, including Aurora and Plainfield, as part of a joint enforcement campaign that gave out 32 citations for cellphone violations in a single day.

Is this enough? Probably not. It seems every time I’m driving around town I see drivers around me with their noses in their phones. This occurs all the time, and not always when at a stop light. So what is the solution? As I have written many times before, I believe Illinois needs harsher penalties for distracted drivers. Especially when there is a traffic accident, injury and certainly a fatality. This means higher fines and the threat of jail time.

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

Chicago Again Ranked In Top 10 In U.S. Traffic Congestion

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I’ve written about traffic congestion in Chicago in the past and our city is perennially in the top 10 of most congested U.S. cities. This year’s ranking is no different as analytic company INRIX ranked Chicago the eighth most congested U.S. city. The study states that Chicago commuters waste about 60 hours a year sitting in traffic. On the bright side, Chicago has been ranked as high as third in recent years, so this is somewhat of an improvement. Los Angeles was ranked first in the U.S. and London was ranked at the top worldwide.

I mentioned a few weeks ago about increased traffic fatalities (specifically pedestrian) in 2015. Experts concluded that one of the causes could be attributed in the improved economy and lower gas prices. There are more people on the road driving to more jobs, which leads to more auto accidents. It is kind of a catch 22 for Chicagoans. We want a booming economy with low unemployment, but as a result we face more traffic congestion and potentially more traffic accidents and traffic fatalities. As I have said many times before, with this much traffic on the road, put your phones down and focus on what is in front of you while driving.

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 Red Light Camera Class Action Lawsuit Moves Forward

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According the Cook County Record and other news outlets, plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit filed against the city of Chicago for improper red light camera violations has survived a motion to dismiss by the city. The lawsuit, which alleged that the city failed to send a second notice of violation, as required by its ordinances, to give those receiving the tickets sufficient chance to contest them in court, before the city began assessing additional fees and fines for the unpaid tickets. In other words, the suit states that failing to provide the second notice was a violation of offender’s due process.

The city moved to dismiss this lawsuit and the circuit court judge, Kathleen Kennedy, not only denied this motion bet held the following in her ruling:

““The ordinance makes it clear that the city was required to send a second notice before determining liability,” the judge wrote. “The city argues that notices received by plaintiffs satisfied due process because ‘due process only requires notice and an opportunity to be heard’ … Here, plaintiffs’ receipt of a single violation notice does not mean that due process was satisfied when the ordinance mandates that two notices be sent to a non-responder before a determination of liability.”

The plaintiffs in this lawsuit are seeking class action status and this is another step forward in that pursuit. If plaintiffs do reach class action status and are able to prevail at trial, then the city could be facing hundreds of millions of dollars in fees that they must refund to drivers who paid these tickets without receiving the second notice.

It’s worth pointing out that weeks after this lawsuit was filed, the city immediately changed its’ procedure when issuing these tickets. They immediately began requiring they issue the second notice to violators. It will be unclear whether this action would be admissible into evidence if the case makes it to trial. Typically, subsequent remedial behavior by a tortfeasor is not admissible into evidence.

I have been writing in this blog for years now that red light and speed camera programs should end. Studies have shown that they do not provide a net safety benefit to the city as the number of traffic accidents have not decreased since the implementation of these cameras. I will be following this lawsuit closely in the news in the coming months.

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

Proposed Chicago Ordinance Would Allow Cameras To Ticket Drivers Blocking Intersections

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According to the great website DNA Info Chicago, there is a proposed ordinance within the Chicago city council that would allow traffic cameras to ticket drivers blocking certain downtown intersections. Alderman Brendan Reilly proposed using automated cameras to enforce tickets on cars stuck in the middle of intersections when the lights change, thus blocking cross traffic. He specifically mentioned the corner of Randolph and LaSalle streets directly outside City Hall

Full disclosure, I don’t think this ordinance is being proposed for safety purposes. I think it is a traffic congestion ordinance that would hopefully force vehicles to avoid intersections when the light change. I actually walk past this intersection almost daily when I go to Court at the Daley Center, and the Alderman is correct: this intersection, along with Washington and LaSalle, is incredibly frustrating. It’s frustrating for both drivers and pedestrians when vehicles are constantly sitting in the middle of an intersection, making traffic more congested for everyone. Would this type of new traffic ticket make our streets safer and decrease the number of traffic accidents and pedestrian accidents? Probably not. Would it actually decrease the number of drivers that block intersections? Possibly. Especially if the fine is high enough. There has been no reporting on what the fine would be or whether this is close to passing. Another thought is that all of this congestion may just disappear when all of the construction for the separate CTA bus lanes are finally completed. I will be interested in seeing if this ordinance goes anywhere.

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

Missouri Supreme Court Rules On Red Light Cameras

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The Kansas City Star reported this week that the Missouri Supreme Court ruled on the penalty portion of red light cameras throughout the state. Previously, red light camera tickets were treated similar to parking tickets. A violator was mailed their ticket and forced to pay the fine but points were not assessed to their driver’s license. In their recent ruling, the Court held that the violations should be considered moving violations. So the red-light camera company serving many Missouri cities said that the cameras would have to capture the driver’s photo, something their technology allows them to do. In addition, the citation would result in points being taken off a license.

Like in Chicago, many in Kansas City and St. Louis believed that the cameras did not improve safety at busy intersections. According to the Star the Kansas City Police Department prepared a report in May 2012, which concluded that the red-light cameras had positively affected driver behavior, resulting in fewer violations and fewer wrecks at those intersections. The cameras in a few instances also provided video evidence to help solve violent, gun-related crimes.

No such report has been made here in Chicago. In fact, a study done by Texas A&M researchers revealed that intersections with red light cameras actually increased the number of rear-end car accidents, while decreasing the number of t-bone time traffic accidents. The study concluded that their was a zero net safety benefit from red light traffic cameras.
It is unclear at this point whether the Illinois Courts will follow suit with Missouri by ruling that red light tickets will be considered moving violations.
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 Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076

Studies Show Summer Is Most Dangerous Time Of Year For Drivers

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The Chicago Tribune published an interesting article last month about what we should expect this summer for on the highways in Illinois. Basically, the authors pointed out that that due to the increased number of expected travelers this summer, we should expect more car accidents and traffic fatalities than we saw in 2014. Going into Memorial Day weekend, Illinois already had 15 more traffic fatalities than the same time last year.

While vehicle fatalities have increased 5 percent in Illinois so far this year, motor vehicle deaths nationally increased 11 percent — to 8,250 fatalities — in the first three months of 2015, compared with the same period in 2014, according to an analysis by the National Safety Council, based on preliminary figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The traffic safety administration’s official count includes only traffic deaths that occur within 30 days of accidents, whereas the safety council counts deaths that occur within a year of accidents.

Injuries resulting from car crashes in which medical care was received hit almost 1 million from January through March of this year in the U.S., a 26 percent increase from the same period in 2014, the safety council said.

The increase in crash-related deaths correlates to more vehicles on the roads, more total miles traveled and lower fuel prices, officials said.

The leading causes of traffic accidents continue to be intoxication and the use of cell phones. Despite most states, including Illinois, which have outlawed the use of cell phones while driver, not state has banned hands free usage.The National Traffic Safety Board (“NTSB”) and subsequently the the National Safety Council  have called for a ban on hands-free cellphone use of any kind, but no states have enacted laws completely prohibiting the use of mobile devices while driving. Illinois law permits the use of hands-free devices, except in construction zones.

If you are going to be travelling on the road this summer, be sure to buckle up and put away your cell phone.

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 Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076

Chicago Ranked Again As One Of Worst Traffic Cities

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A new study released by TomTom.com has concluded that in 2015, Chicago has the 8th worst traffic in the United States. According to the study, an average commute that should be 30 minutes is typically 50 minutes in Chicago. The worst times for commuting are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings and Thursday evenings. The best times are Friday mornings and Monday evenings. 

Luckily for us who live here in Chicago, the city did not rank in the top ten worldwide for the worst traffic. According to the sturdy, the worst city for traffic in the U.S. is Los Angeles and the worst in the world is Mexico City.

What does this mean for traffic accidents for Chicago drivers? Obviously, this is not good. The more congestion, the higher the odds a commuter will be involved in a car crash. Plus, the added commute time can add to stress levels, which can affect a driver’s ability. I have no data or studies to back this up, and it is simply this writer’s opinion, but I believe if there is bumper to bumper traffic, the more likely a driver will pick up his or her phone and become distracted. Think about it. If a driver is bored and sitting in traffic, doesn’t it seem more likely that they will tool around and text on their phone? I believe so, and I also believe that the more distracted drivers out there will obviously lead to even more car accidents. 

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

The Active Transportation Alliance Opposes Proposed Ban On Traffic Cameras

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The Chicago Sun Times reported this week that the Active Transportation Alliance is not taking too kindly the recent efforts by aldermen to put an end to red light and speeder cameras. The Active Transportation Alliance is a non-profit organization whose mission is to improve safety and conditions for bicyclists, pedestrians and mass transit users around the city of Chicago.

Last week 14 alderman attempted to pass a bill that would eliminate all red light and speeder cameras by 2018. Though the bill failed, the Active Transportation Alliance is not taking any chances. They are pushing a new initiative called “Vision Zero,” which is based on the principles that no loss of life to traffic accidents is acceptable and that red-light cameras that serve as police force “multipliers” are pivotal tools that can prevent crashes.

Ron Burke, executive director of the Active Transportation Alliance, told the Sun Times Monday that he’s concerned the debate over red-light cameras has turned into a game of political football that could culminate in the loss of an “important traffic safety tool.”

He noted that, in 2012, there were more than 77,000 reported traffic accidents in Chicago, with 145 people killed and nearly 21,000 seriously injured.

“This is no time to throw the baby out with the bath water,” Burke said. “If it goes away all together, who’s gonna enforce these traffic laws? Who’s gonna be there when motorists are running red lights and putting people in danger?”

“The reality is that most cities don’t have enough police officers to enforce traffic laws. Photo enforcement is a great way to bridge that gap and effectively multiply the power of the police to enforce the law. If the cameras go away, it’s not likely that red lights are gonna be enforced anymore, or enforcement will be spotty, at best.”

I get where Mr. Burke is coming from here and I respect the mission and the efforts of the Active Transportation Alliance. But if you look deeply at the statistics of accidents since red light cameras were implemented in Chicago, you will see that there has been no “net” safety gain from these cameras. Yes, t-bone car crashes have decreased some, but rear-end traffic accidents have actually increased in the intersections where these cameras are located. What is the community benefit, other than money for the city, if the the cameras do not make intersections safer.

It will be interesting to watch what happens in the coming weeks and months. If Rahm Emanuel wins the election as expected, I do not see him putting an end to traffic cameras. He has steadfastly supported them since day one.

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

Chicago Sun Times Publishes Editorial On Traffic Cameras

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The Chicago Sun-Times published an editorial yesterday stating that red light and speed cameras should only be used if they make our streets safer. “If red-light and speed cameras don’t have the trust of law-abiding motorists, the program is not being administered properly. Whoever is the next mayor should ensure Chicago streets are as safe – and as fair to motorists – as possible.”

I think we all agree with what the Sun-Times staff has pontificated. If red light cameras and speeder cameras save lives, then they should remain intact. If not, then they should be removed.  The problem with the editorial and with the red light cameras is that they do not actually make our streets safer for both drivers and pedestrians. The Chicago Tribune study that I have discussed over and over concluded there is a zero net impact on the red light cameras. T-bone car crashes are down but rear-end traffic accidents actually increased 22% since the cameras have been installed. If we believe the study to be true, then red light cameras should be removed. They are not preventing auto accidents overall and are not making our intersections safer.

On the other hand, speeder cameras are still fairly new. Mayor Emanuel installed them within the last two years and I have to see any data or studies as to their net effect on public safety. On their face, speeder cameras make sense. Why shouldn’t the city do what they can to prevent speeders from barreling through school zone and city park areas? But if there is no overall decrease in car accidents and pedestrian accidents, then I believe it should be questioned whether the speeder cameras should remain.

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