Articles Posted in Auto Accident

There may be more than your plate number on your license plate if the Illinois Secretary of State approves corporate logos in license plates. The office will be studying the possibility of placing corporate logos on license plates under a measure (SB 1360) that Gov. Pat Quinn recently signed into law.

What this means is that motorists could soon see company advertisements on their license plates. The big idea is that the state would be able to collect big bucks from corporations for the right to turn vehicles into billboards on wheels, according to the Chicago Tribune. Through this move, drivers would even be able to get a discounted vehicle registration fee if they’re willing to display the branded plates.Safe driving advocates worry that these tiny advertisements will only serve as another distraction to drivers. With license plates turned into mini billboards, drivers may be more inclined to scope out a vehicle’s plate instead of the surrounding traffic, which would increase you risks of being involved in a distracted driving-related car accident in Chicago.

Our Chicago auto accident attorneys understand that much more research has to be done on this idea before it in enacted, but lawmakers are expecting a conclusion by the first of the year. The study includes research on the cost of implementing such a program and how much public interest there might be for it. What should be studied more is the amount of driver distraction that these advertisements will cause.

As it stands now, our state already offers a large selection of plates promoting special causes. These plates are sold to motorists at a higher fee. The money from these sales benefits various charitable or research organizations.

The fee that participating corporations would pay would be more than enough to make up for the reduced cost of a participating vehicle’s registration fee. The plan, which has previously been discussed by the General Assembly, is believed to be a unique way to generate significant revenue for the state. Opponents of the ads claim that reading an Illinois plate is already challenging for police.

John Mulroe (D-Chicago), the bill’s sponsor, previously said that everyone wins under this bill because even if the plate program fails, it wouldn’t cost the state a thing.

Currently, there is only one state that allows corporate ads on their license plates — Texas. Its statewide program has already raised more than $50,000 for the state’s general revenue fund.

Motorists already have too many distractions to deal with behind the wheel. As a matter of fact, nearly 5,500 people died on U.S. roadways because of traffic accidents that reported the involvement of a distracted driver in 2009. Another 448,000 were injured in these types of accidents, according to distraction.gov. Many believe that these license plate advertisements will do nothing more than take driver focus an attention off the issue at hand — driving.
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Driving distractions contribute to roughly 30 percent of all car accidents in Chicago and elsewhere. The real number may even be higher because investigating officers may not detect or record all distractions, according to the Governor’s Highway Safety Administration.

Currently in the state of Illinois, drivers under the age of 19, school bus drivers and drivers who are operating in school and construction zones are banned from using a cell phone behind the wheel. All drivers are banned from texting. Illinois is also one of only six states that allows localities to ban cell phone use for all drivers. As of now, Chicago is the only major city in our state that has made cell phone use by drivers illegal, according to the Department of Motor Vehicles.Our Illinois car accident attorneys see too many accidents each year that are caused by distracted drivers. These accidents are all 100 percent preventable. There are a number of ways distractions can take hold of a driver’s attention. There are visual distractions that take a driver’s eyes off the roadways, auditory distractions that happen when a driver hears something that’s not related to driving, manual distractions that occur when a driver is manipulating something other than the wheel and there are cognitive distractions that happen when a driver is thinking about something other than driving.

“While distracted driving is an emotional issue that raises the ire of many on the road, states must take a research-based approach to addressing the problem. Until more research is conducted, states need to proceed thoughtfully, methodically and objectively,” says GHSA Executive Director Barbara Harsha.

Enforcement of these regulations has concluded that:

-A high-visibility cell phone and texting law enforcement campaign drastically reduces cell phone use. Long term effects of this enforcement are not yet known.

-Laws banning hand-held cell phone use dropped the use of these devices by about half when they were first implemented.

A recent report conducted by the Governor’s Highway Safety Administration, titled Distracted Driving: What Research Shows and What States Can Do, is able to summarize how often drivers operate a motor vehicle while distracted, what exactly distracted driving is and the crash risks of driving while distracted.

This study concluded that:

-Drivers who use hand-held devices are as much as four times as likely to get into a car accident that is serious enough to injure themselves.

-Texting likely increases accident risks more than cell phone use.

-Motorists frequently drive while distracted, perhaps as much as half the time.

-Drivers adapt to some extent. They are able to pay more attention to driving and reduce their distracting activities in more dangerous driving situations.

“Despite all that has been written about driver distraction, there is still a lot that we do not know,” said GHSA Executive Director Barbara Harsha, who oversaw the report’s development. “Much of the research is incomplete or contradictory. Clearly, more studies need to be done addressing both the scope of the problem and how to effectively address it.”

Nearly 5,500 people were killed in traffic accidents that reported the involvement of a distracted driver in the United States in 2009 alone. Another 448,000 people were injured in these incidents, according to Distraction.gov. This means that 20 percent of injury accidents that happened in 2009 involved reports of distracted driving.

Distractions are inevitable. It is virtually impossible to completely eliminate them while driving, it’s a part of who we are as humans and as drivers. With proper self-discipline, we can all do our part to reduce distractions and risks of fatal accidents.
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Drivers in Illinois, ages 18-years-old and older, are allowed to take their attention off the roadway and talk on their cell phone while behind the wheel of a car if they want. Well, everyone outside of Chicago is allowed to. That could all change very soon, if Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y. has her way.

She recently proposed a House bill that looks to federalize driving and cell phone usage, according to Auto Trends Magazine.

As it stands now, these are laws that are managed by individual states. Under the proposed legislation, the U.S. Department of Transportation would be required to set up a nationwide standard that would prohibit all cell phone use while driving. McCarthy’s House bill aims to reduce the number of distracted driving car accidents in Illinois and elsewhere in the United States.In the meantime, many local law enforcement agencies are doing everything they can to raise awareness and enforcement efforts to push the laws that they do have. A number of recent studies have illustrated the effectiveness of more visible enforcement efforts.

Nearly 5,500 people were killed on U.S. roadways in 2009 alone because of car accidents that reported the involvement of a distracted driver, according to Distraction.gov. Another 448,000 people were injured because of these types of accidents. Our Chicago car accident attorneys understand that a nationwide ban on cell phone use by drivers has the potential to truly benefit the safety of everyone on our roadways. According to these statistics, roughly 20 percent of all injury crashes that happened in 2009 involved a distracted driver. These numbers can be drastically reduced with the proper awareness, laws and enforcement. No cell phone conversation is worth a human life.

“Driving while making a phone call, texting or using apps can be as dangerous as driving drunk, and much more common,” Rep. McCarthy said. “With some basic commonsense rules that are already in place in some parts of the country, we can reduce injuries and save lives in America.”

Safe driving advocates everywhere are stepping up awareness campaigns and enforcement efforts in an attempt to reduce the occurrence of this dangerous driving habit. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that a recent study returned dramatic reductions in distracted driving in both Syracuse, New York, and Hartford, Connecticut. These studies included two pilot projects that were used to measure the effect of increased law enforcement coupled with high-profile public education campaigns.

“These findings show that strong laws, combined with highly-visible police enforcement, can significantly reduce dangerous texting and cell phone use behind the wheel,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Based on these results, it is crystal clear that those who try to minimize this dangerous behavior are making a serious error in judgment, especially when half a million people are injured and thousands more are killed in distracted driving accidents.”

Each of these programs was funded by $200,000 in federal funds and $100,000 from the state. The result proved that increased police enforcement accompanied by paid advertising and news media coverage indeed made a significant reduction in distracted driving. Television campaigns were aired and bulletin boards were posted to warn drivers about this dangerous driving habit and of the law enforcement crackdown on the behavior.

After the increased enforcement efforts:

-Syracuse, New York, witnessed that both handheld cell phone use and texting declined by one-third with just the use of high-visibility law enforcement.

-Hartford, Connecticut saw nearly a 60 percent decrease in handheld use. Texting by drivers decreased by nearly three-quarters.

“The success of these pilot programs clearly show that combining strong laws with strong enforcement can bring about a sea change in public attitudes and behavior,” said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. “We applaud the work of the men and women of the Syracuse and Hartford police forces, and call on state legislatures, law enforcement and safety advocates across the nation to follow their lead.”
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You may be inclined to take it easy this summer, and you deserve it. Whatever you do though, don’t let down your guard behind the wheel.

Residents are more likely to die in a car accident in Illinois during the summer months. There are a number of things you can do to help protect yourself and your loved ones on our roadways during the next few months.

Our Chicago personal injury attorneys wish everyone a safe and enjoyable summer, but we also ask that you use caution while traveling to and from your summer vacation destinations. Increased traffic during the summertime directly affects the number of fatal accidents on our roadways.”During the summer months, weekends provide families and friends with an opportunity to come together and enjoy the warm weather,” said Illinois State Police Director Hiram Grau. “….[As]the summer driving season shifts into gear, the Illinois State Police want to remind motorists to stay focused behind the wheel, obey all traffic laws and avoid unnecessary distractions. Our goal is to make the summer driving season as safe as possible.”

According to the 2009 Illinois Crash Facts & Statistics report, more than 89,000 people were injured in traffic accident during the year. Rear-end collisions accounted for the highest number of injury accidents, resulting in nearly 30 percent of all injuries in 2009. These types of accidents were also responsible for a majority of property damage accidents, accounting again for nearly 30 percent of total crashes.

“The number of fatalities and injuries on Illinois roadways has declined in recent years due to many factors including effective traffic safety programs, excellent safety engineering, strategic partnerships with law enforcement and the fact that more motorists are buckling up today than ever before,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig in a release statement. “Even with these accomplishments, however, impaired driving is still responsible for far too many motor vehicle deaths and injuries across Illinois. IDOT stands firm in its goal to eradicate the senseless act of drinking and driving on Illinois roadways.”

Reader’s Digest urges Motorists to keep these five driving hazards in mind when driving during the summer months:

–Look out for wild animals. As more vehicles travel our roadways during the next few months, your risk of hitting a deer, moose, or other wild animal greatly increases. You are urged to always be alert and focused when behind the wheel of your car.

“Drivers need to understand the type of area they are driving in and be aware of any signs or markings indicating the possibility of animal crossings,” he says.

According to State Farm there were 2.3 million collisions between deer and vehicles in the United States in 2009.

–Be cautious in wet weather. A number of accidents happen when drivers fail to adjust their driving behaviors to current weather conditions.

“If a hailstorm is bad enough that you can’t see the road, the safest thing might be to pull off to the side of the road and wait until driving conditions improve,” says Dan Bleier, a spokesperson for the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. “A little extra caution is bound to slow you down, “but being involved in a crash could end your trip entirely – or worse.”

You’re also urged to clean the interior and exterior of your vehicle’s windows, make sure that all of your lights and signals are working and to always turn on your headlights when visibility is poor.

–Never drive drowsy. It is estimated that two out of every five drivers report that they’ve fallen asleep at the wheel.

“About one in six fatal crashes involves a drowsy driver,” says Belier.

You are urged to pull over and stop driving or switch with a passenger if you start to feel sleepy at the wheel. You should be driving on at least 6 hours of rest and you should take a break every 100 miles or every two hours.

–Lookout for bicyclists.

Because these two-wheeled vehicles are smaller than your vehicle, you may have a hard time seeing them in your mirrors. Keep an eye out of these vulnerable travelers. Bicyclists also hit the open road in full force during the warm summer months. Chicago bicycle accidents are a common cause of serious and fatal injuries.

“Drivers should leave extra stopping space between themselves and riders because they (riders) have far less protection than those inside of other vehicles,” Bleier says.

–Watch your speed. Speeding is one of the top contributors to traffic accidents. It contributes to one out of every three reported traffic crashes.

“Drivers are focused on getting to their destination quickly, rather than getting to their destination safely,” says Bleier.
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Distracted driving accidents have recently experienced a significant decrease in Syracuse, New York and Hartford, Connecticut, according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. Two pilot projects in these areas are proving that increased enforcement of distracted driving laws can have a significant impact.

Illinois distracted driving accidents remain a primary safety concern. Even though drivers in our state are banned from text-messaging and driving — and Chicago drivers are banned from using a cell phone — enforcement is spotty at best.Our Chicago car accident attorneys understand that as technology advances, the risk of distracted driving accidents increases. To help combat this problem, Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy is currently proposing a law that would enforce a ban nationwide.

She is currently seeking co-sponsors, no one from Illinois has jumped on that bandwagon yet. Verizon Wireless has already voiced its support of the policy, the Safe Drivers Act of 2011.

“We applaud Rep. McCarthy for introducing the Safe Drivers Act of 2011. While mobile devices bring great benefits to Americans’ lives, they must be used responsibly while driving. We’re pleased that Congresswoman McCarthy is championing this public safety measure, and we fully support her efforts to enact the Safe Drivers Act of 2011,” says Peter Davidson, Verizon senior vice president of federal government relations.

The studies conducted in Syracuse, New York and Hartford, Connecticut reveal that areas with strict enforcement of these types of rules typically see a lower fatality rate.

“These findings show that strong laws, combined with highly-visible police enforcement, can significantly reduce dangerous texting and cell phone use behind the wheel,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Based on these results, it is crystal clear that those who try to minimize this dangerous behavior are making a serious error in judgment, especially when half a million people are injured and thousands more are killed in distracted driving accidents.”

The enforcement programs in these states were made possible by $200,000 in federal funds and $100,000 from the state. Each state studied driver habits based on increased police enforcement and public advertising about the effects of distracted driving. The pilot efforts included a “Phone in One Hand, Ticket in the Other” campaign.

Distracted driving has be a large concern of some in our state. According to statistics from a Naperville North High School study of nearly 3,500 observed vehicles, nearly 200 drivers were witnessed talking on their cell phones and nearly 100 were observed texting behind the wheel.

“I try to show them how statistics are related to their lives,” said teacher Hiram Baird said.

Public awareness may be one of the first steps in enforcing these regulations and encouraging drivers to put down their phones.

“The success of these pilot programs clearly show that combining strong laws with strong enforcement can bring about a sea change in public attitudes and behavior,” said National Highway Transportation Safety Administration‘s (NHTSA) Administrator David Strickland. “We applaud the work of the men and women of the Syracuse and Hartford police forces, and call on state legislatures, law enforcement and safety advocates across the nation to follow their lead.”

According to the NHTSA, there were nearly 5,500 fatalities that resulted from accidents involving a distracted driver in 2009 alone. Another 500,000 people were injured in these accidents. Distracted driving accidents accounted for nearly 20 percent of the total traffic fatalities in 2009.

A nationwide ban and a pledge to strictly enforce this ban may be the only way to effectively prevent distracted driving accidents and deaths in our state and in our country.
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You may have heard about the “Drive Now. Text Later.” campaign launched by theIllinois Tollway Authority, Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois State Police, Illinois Secretary of State and AAA Chicago. This awareness campaign urges drivers to put down their cell phones and to stop texting behind the wheel in an attempt to reduce the risks of a car accident in Illinois.

Our Chicago personal injury attorneys understand that drivers are already banned from using a cell phone and texting while driving within the city, but without strict enforcement efforts drivers will continue engaging in the dangerous driving habit and endangering motorists statewide. Statewide, motorists are forbidden from texting while driving and from using cell phones in school zones or at road construction sites. This campaign seeks to get the word out about the risks … and the law.Across the United States, nearly 5,500 people were killed in traffic accidents that reported the involvement of a distracted driver in 2009 alone. Another 500,000 people were injured in these accidents. These fatalities represent nearly 20 percent of all of the traffic fatalities for the entire year.

“We must adopt a no tolerance attitude on this issue,” said pediatric emergency physician Dr. Charles Nozicka. “We have to pay attention to the task at hand. Put the cell phone down. Stop texting and driving. One accident can change a life forever.”

Drivers under the age of 20 have the biggest proportion of distracted drivers. Nearly 20 percent of the drivers in this age group that were involved in a fatal accident were reported to have been driving while distracted, according to the Lake County News-Sun.

“This new challenge comes as a result of technology, and at face value, nothing really inherently dangerous, just your cell phone or your Blackberry. Let’s be honest, texting and e-mailing isn’t going to go away anytime soon and neither is talking on the phone,” said Kristi Lafleur, Illinois Tollway Authority executive director.

Here are some tips to help you avoid being involved in a distracted driving accident:

-Put your cell phone in the glove box or in your center console, turned off, while you’re driving. Think “out of sight, out of mind.”

-Display a “Drive Now. Text Later.” campaign decal on your window to remind both yourself and other drivers to stop texting while driving. You can order one of these from the Illinois Tollway website.

-If you need to use your cell phone, pull over and stop in a safe location before you do.

-If you have to answer the phone while you’re driving, do so on a hands-free device.

-Don’t send or read any text messages while driving.

-If you’re listening to the radio, use the volume and station buttons on the steering wheel instead of reaching for the center console.

“As an emergency physician and father of four, the issue of distracted driving has been a key component of my professional and parenting practice,” Nozicka said. “Life does not supply our teen drivers with a ‘reset button.’ Studies have shown that distracted driving is as dangerous as driving while intoxicated.”

A distraction happens when you either take your eyes off the road, take your hands off the wheel or taking your mind off driving. Texting is the most deadly of distracting driving habits because it combines all three distractions simultaneously.
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