Articles Posted in Auto Accident

After being involved in a fatal Chicago area auto accident, an Illinois woman has disappeared after walking away from an accident that killed her husband, according to ABC news. An extensive police search is underway.

The 40-year-old woman, who was believed to be a passenger at the time of the accident, has been missing since Sunday morning. LaSalle County Sheriff’s deputies found a car that is been an accident on a rural road with the woman’s husband in the driver’s seat.

Police found evidence that the woman was able to exit the vehicle and go up to the roadway, but from their deputies have no idea what happened. Footprints were seen going away from the car and one of the woman’s shoes was located at the scene.

The U.S. Department of Transportation is rolling out a video series “The Faces of Distracted Driving,” just in time for the holidays as authorities hope to reduce the number of distracted driving car accidents in Chicago and nationwide.

Our Chicago injury attorneys urge you to share these messages with family and friends, particularly with young drivers as we head into the holiday season. Accidents are frequently caused by many types of distracted driving behaviors, including cell phone use, text messaging, eating, distractions caused by other passengers or pets in the vehicle and distractions caused by activity outside the vehicle, such as a previous accident.
 

 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 5,474 people were killed and 448,000 were injured in accidents caused by distracted driving last year.

“Statistics never tell the whole story — behind these numbers are children, parents, neighbors and friends. They are families torn apart by senseless preventable tragedy,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “They will all tell you the same thing — no message or call is worth the risk.”

Only speeding and drunk driving are blamed for more deaths.

“These numbers show that distracted driving remains an epidemic in America,” La Hood said.

The first videos in the series include:

-A 13-year-old girl who was riding home from school when her school bus was struck by a semi. She died when rescuers were unable to get her out of the burning wreckage. The bus was stopped at a bus stop when it was hit by the truck, which was traveling at 70 mph. The driver was talking on his cell phone.

-A 58-year-old woman was walking with a friend when she was struck by a 19-year-old who was driving 70 mph. There was no attempt to brake. The at-fault driver was cited for inattentive driving and fined $173.

-A 16-year-old teen was killed when she lost control of her car and drove across the center line, striking a pickup truck head on. Her father had warned her about the dangers of distracted driving but she was texting at the time of the crash.
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The National Safety Council hosted its first Forum to Keep Teen Drivers Alive recently, as it works to remind parents and teenagers about the dangers of Chicago car accidents as we head into the holidays and the winter driving season.

Our Chicago accident attorneys frequently report about the dangers teens face on the road — the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration continues to report that car accidents are the leading cause of death among young people ages 15 to 20.In 2008, a total of 164 motorists were killed in Illinois car accidents involving young drivers.

Participants in the forum included law enforcement, educators and safety advocates from Arlington Heights, Grayslake, Mundelein and Oak Brook. The Safety Council also demonstrated its Alive at 25 safety course, geared toward teen drivers.

“The interest in this first teen driving forum reflects the need for effective teen driver training,” said John Kennedy, group vice president for programs and education at the National Safety Council. “The Alive at 25 course goes beyond the rules of the road by sharing the importance of making good decisions behind the wheel and the consequences poor choices can have on families and friends. Due to the success of this first forum, we look forward to hosting more across the country.”

Nationwide, the government reports that 2,739 drivers ages 15 to 20 were killed in crashes in 2008 and an additional 228,000 were injured. In all, teenagers account for about 1 in 9 drivers killed in accidents.
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The National Transportation Safety Board has updated its Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements, asking states to focus on a number of core issues. Each of these issues are often focused on by our Chicago accident lawyers, both here and on our sister site, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog.

“State governments are in a unique position to effect the most significant improvement in certain areas of transportation safety,” NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman said. “Our Most Wanted List spotlights those states that have made noteworthy progress in better protecting the traveling public – and those that have not.”The government reports that Illinois needs to enact a primary enforcement seat-belt law for back-seat passengers and do a better job of cracking down on hardcore drunk drivers. It also reports that Illinois is one of only three states that lacks a helmet law to reduce the risk of serious or fatal injuries resulting from Illinois motorcycle accidents.

Improve Motorcycle Safety

This issue replaced recreational boating safety this year as the government continues to try to reduce the high numbers of serious and fatal motorcycle accidents occurring nationwide. Illinois receives a failing grade as one of only three states with no helmet laws for riders, including minors. Only Iowa and New Hampshire also lack helmet laws of any kind.

Young Drivers Safety/Distracted Driving

As we frequently report, Illinois is a leader in this area. The state’s graduated driver’s license program is one of the nation’s best and restrictions are also in place prohibiting teenagers from using cell phones while driving. The state also has limits on the number of passengers permitted in a young driver’s vehicle.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that nearly 6,000 drivers ages 15 to 20 were involved in fatal accidents in 2008, making traffic accidents the leading cause of death among teenagers. A total of 164 motorists died in Illinois car accidents involving young drivers.

Improve Child Occupant Protection

Illinois also fairs well when it comes to child occupant protection — requiring booster seats for children under 8. Nearly half of all states (22) still lack such a requirement. Nationwide, 1,347 children under the age of 14 were killed in accidents in 2008. Forty-four children in Illinois were killed in traffic crashes — including 23 under the age of 8.

The government reports about half of the 3,000 children killed in traffic accidents in the last decade were unrestrained.

Primary seat belt laws

Illinois was cited as one of the states that does not have a primary seat-belt-enforcement law for back-seat passengers. Last year, over half of the 23,000 vehicle occupants who died in crashes were not wearing seat belts. Seat-belt use reduces the risk of serious or fatal injuries by about 50 percent.

Nineteen states have no primary enforcement law. Illinois is one of 14 states where the primary enforcement law does not apply to all positions.
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