A pair of Chicago train accidents claimed two lives and injured several others Thursday afternoon.
A woman remained hospitalized Friday morning after her husband was killed in a Chicago car accident involving a train. Their car was struck by a Metra train in Bensenville at a railroad crossing near York Road and Main Street at about 5:30 p.m. Thursday, according to the Chicago Breaking News Center.
The woman was taken to Elmhust Memorial Hospital in serious but stable condition.
It is that time a year again when we find ourselves more frequently driving at night: When, as winter settles in for the long-haul, it sometimes seems sunset begins just after lunch and commuting home in the dark becomes routine.
But data released as part of Illinois’ 2008 Illinois Crash Facts & Statistics continues to show nighttime driving is a contributing factor in a significant number of serious and fatal Illinois car accidents.
The Chicago car accident attorneys and the personal injury and wrongful death lawyers at Abels & Annes take a look at those figures, and advice for safe nighttime driving.
More than half of all fatal car accidents in Illinois last year occurred at or near dark, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Daylight: 458 Dawn:12 Dusk:18 Darkness: 291 Darkness lighted road: 169 Unknown: 2
Dawn, dusk, and darkness (whether or not the road was lit) logged 490 fatal accidents while 458 occurred during the much busier daytime driving hours.
While noon to 4 p.m. experienced the most accidents (91,594) — the segment which includes dusk (4 to 8 p.m.), followed closely with 90,811 accidents and the 8 p.m. to midnight period ranked third most-dangerous, with 39,893 accidents.
Driving at night reduces your field of vision, often accompanies fatigue and slower reaction time, and makes drivers more vulnerable to glare, distraction and external dangers, such as drunk or fatigued drivers.The following are night-driving tips from a variety of sources, including Road and Travel, Motor Vehicle Lighting Council, The Weather Channel and the National Safety Council:
-Use your lights courteously: Turn lights on an hour before sunset and leave them on for at least one hour after sunrise; refrain from flashing your brights at a driver with his high-beams on, this may only succeed in blinding the oncoming driver; use low-beams in fog, or use fog lights.
-Don’t drink and drive. Nighttime weekend car accidents are a primary cause of serious and fatal car accidents.
-Avoid smoking when you drive: The chemicals in smoke may actually harm your night vision.
-Don’t overdrive your headlights.
-Stop frequently for light snacks and exercise. Stop and rest if you are too tired to drive.
-Make it easy for others to see you: Make sure your vehicle’s lights are functioning properly. Use emergency flashers in the event of a breakdown and pull completely off the road.
-Avoid glare: Watch the white line at the edge of the road, instead of looking into oncoming headlights. Use the day-night feature of your rearview mirror to cut glare from lights behind you.
-Adjust vehicle’s interior lighting: Avoid using lights inside your vehicle. If streetlights cause a lot of glare, adjust your visor and/or dashboard lights.
-Align headlights correctly.
-Have your vision checked; invest in glasses with anti-reflective coating.
-Keep windows and headlights clean.
-Keep your eyes moving.
-Increase your following distance.
-Watch your speed: Driving fast at night is more dangerous because of your reduced field of vision.
-Use your mirrors.
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December is National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month. Raising awareness about the consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs this holiday season, could reduce the number of serious and fatal Chicago car accidents.
The Chicago drunk driving accident lawyers and the personal injury and wrongful death attorneys at Abels & Annes have posted here and on our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers blog about recent stepped-up enforcement efforts aimed at combating drunk driving and other holiday car accidents in the Chicago area and across the country.
In 2007, nearly 1,500 people were killed in crashes involving a drunk driver from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving’s Tie One On for Safety campaign joins increased enforcement by local law enforcement through the holiday season, including sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols.
To show support, motorists are encouraged to tie a red ribbon on their antenna or display a window decal as a pledge to drive safe, sober and buckled up during the holidays and throughout the year. Red ribbons and red ribbon window decals are available by contacting your local MADD affiliate.
MADD encourages all drivers to obey the following safety tips:
-Designate a sober driver before celebrations begin.
-Never serve those under the age of 21 alcohol.
-Plan safe parties, including providing non-alcoholic drink options to guests and not serving alcohol the last hour of the gathering.
-Be prepared to get everyone home safe in case your plans or individual circumstances change.
Holidays bring increased risk of serious or fatal accidents on Illinois roads, according to 2008 statistics from the Illinois Department of Transportation:
Memorial Day: 8 killed 726 injured in Fourth of July: 15 killed and 805 injured
Labor Day: 15 killed and 803 injured
Thanksgiving: 9 killed and 961 injured Christmas: 8 killed and 841 injured New Year’s: 10 killed and 575 injured
Last year, almost half — 44 percent — of fatally injured Illinois drivers tested positive for alcohol. Forty percent of all Illinois traffic fatalities in 2008 occurred in the 5 county area around Chicago.
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With teens hitting the streets for long holiday breaks over New Year’s, reviewing driver safety with your young driver is a good way to start the holiday.
The Chicago car accident lawyers at Abels & Annes encourage you to take a moment to discuss driver safety with your children to help them stay safe through the beginning of winter-driving season and the congested roads that will great us all this holiday season.
Statistics show teens are at increased risk of Chicago car accidents and drunk driving accidents in Illinois and across the nation this holiday season.
Illinois is a leader in educating teenagers about safe-driving habits. Parents and teenagers can find the state’s Teen Safe Driving Guide and a Parent and Teen Driving contract by clicking here.
Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for young people ages 15 to 20. Nearly 1 in 5 licensed 16-year-olds is in a crash and the fatality rate for teenagers is up to 5 times higher that for drivers in their 30s, 40s and 50s, according to state statistics.
Lack of experience, greater risk taking and driving under the influence are factors associated with the higher traffic fatality rates for teenagers.
More than 300 young drivers ages 21 to 24 are involved in fatal crashes during the last half of December each year. One-third of the 1,710 deaths from 2002-2007 were the result of drunk driving accidents that claimed 649 lives, according the the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
In Illinois during the 2007 Christmas-New Year’s Holiday, 214 young drivers were killed and almost half –92–were impaired.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in a 2005 study that 1 in 4 teens who died in a car accident was legally drunk. Three out of 10 teens reported riding in a car within the last 30 days with a driver who had been drinking.
Lessons in the teen safe-driving guide include: starting and stopping, turning, backing up, parking, changing directions, establishing right-of-way, changing lanes, managing intersections, following other vehicles, defensive driving, assessing highway conditions and passing, handling adverse driving conditions, and other useful safety information and rules of the road.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also offers a comprehensive teen-driver safety program available by clicking here.
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Five counties in and around Chicago were responsible for almost half of Illinois traffic fatalities last year, according to the 2008 Illinois Crash Facts and Statistics data released by the Illinois Department of Transportation.
The Chicago car accident attorneys and injury lawyers at Abels & Annes are publishing a series of blogs taking a look at the new comprehensive traffic data here and on our sister site, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer blog.
Last year, 569 people were killed and 78,509 people were injured in urban Illinois car accidents, compared to 474 killed and 15,512 injured in rural accidents. Abels & Annes previously reported there were 408 Chicago car accident fatalities in the five-county area in 2008, accounting for 70 percent of the state’s urban accidents and about 40 percent of the 1,043 traffic fatalities that occurred statewide in 2008.
The most common type of injury crash was rear-end collisions, which caused 25,817 injuries statewide in 2008, followed by “turning accidents,” the state’s second-most-common injury accident with 17,650 injuries.
The most fatal crashes occurred in a collision with a fixed object (283), followed by pedestrian fatalities (129), head-on collisions (105) and overturned vehicles (104).
10 Most common Illinois accidents:
Rear-end collision: 115,713 Turning: 60,399 Fixed object: 48,914 Parked: 48,507 Angle: 41,723 Sideswipe same direction: 35,366 Animal: 25,271 Vehicle overturned: 5,816 Pedestrian: 5,671 Sideswipe opposite direction: 5,492 Continue reading
Black Friday will begin the holiday shopping madness. Enjoy yourself but keep safety in mind.
The Chicago car accident lawyers and the personal injury attorneys at Abels & Annes wish everyone a happy holiday and safe shopping. But with more than half of annual retail sales expected between now and the end of the year, heavy traffic, big crowds, overstocked stores and poorly lit or maintained parking lots all present risk of serious injury.
Malls, store owners and retail outlets have a duty to provide a safe environment. Store events deliberately promoted to draw large crowds can pose a danger to customers seriously injured by falling merchandise, dark or faulty stairwells and parking lots, as well as other hazards, including pedestrian accidents and car accidents occurring in parking lots.
In fact, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration has issued guidelines for businesses dealing with large crowds during the holidays.
“Crowd-related injuries during special retail sales and promotional events have increased during recent years,” said Jordan Barab, acting assistant secretary for OSHA. “Many of these incidents could be prevented, and this fact sheet provides retail employers with guidelines for avoiding injuries during the holiday shopping season.”
The Illinois Attorney General has released the 2009 Safe Shopping Guide, which includes 121 recalled children’s products.
And keeping safety in mind while in parking lots can go a long way toward keeping you and your family safe this holiday season.
-Drive defensively -Turn on headlights for safety -Park in a well-lit area -Turn off the radio -Get off the phone -Drive slowly -Take a second look behind you before backing -Watch for pedestrians, kids, parents with strollers -Be alert for other hazards, like rolling carts -Park at the end of an aisle -Park properly centered in your space -Pull through into the abutting open space -Park next to a nice car -Pay attention when walking -Put your cart away -Pay attention to stop signs and obey all traffic signs Continue reading
The National Safety Commission has issued a comprehensive plan for staying safe and avoiding car accidents as the perennial biggest travel holiday of the year begins Wednesday.
The Chicago injury lawyers at Abels & Annes wish you and your family a happy and safe Thanksgiving and urge you to do your part to keep the roads safe throughout the upcoming holiday season. Earlier this week we posted on Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer’s blog the first of a series of safe-holiday advisories, including AAA’s estimate of 41 million American travelers hitting the road.
And please designate a driver. Chicago drunk driving accidents and DUI accidents nationwide are responsible for significant numbers of traffic fatalities, particularly among young people.
In Illinois during the 2007 Christmas-New Year’s Holiday, 92 of the 214 young drivers who were killed during the holidays were impaired.
The commission reminds motorists that Thanksgiving is not only be busiest travel holiday of the year, but also the deadliest. The Chicago Car Accident Lawyers blog reported that almost 1,000 people were seriously injured or killed during the Thanksgiving holiday last year in Illinois.
The National Safety Commission has the following tips:
Seat Belts
-Of the fatalities during the 2008 Thanksgiving weekend;
-More than two-thirds (67%) of the total fatalities did not have their seat belts fastened.
-40 percent of the fatalities in daytime crashes were not wearing seat belts.
Speed
Speeding is the major reason for traffic crashes; speed reduces reaction time and increases the force of a collision.
Wednesday
-Long-distance travel will be heaviest after work on Wednesday, extending normal rush-hour delays and causing congestion in more rural areas where traffic is typically lighter.
Fatigue and Frustration
-Fatigued and frustrated drivers may tempt drivers to take chances they otherwise would not take.
-Sleepy drivers may nod off at the wheel and are just as dangerous as drunk drivers.
Sunday
Most drivers will wait until Sunday afternoon to return home where they will face many of the same driving conditions that they faced on Wednesday evening.
Drunk Drivers
-Drivers are more likely to face drunk drivers following Sunday football games and other celebration.
The Commission recommends these actions to remain safe on the road:
-Try to leave on Tuesday and return either on Saturday or Monday when traffic is lighter and safer -Give yourself plenty of time -Allow for plenty of rest -Share driving duties with a fellow traveler and stop every couple hours for at least a short break -Don’t depend on caffeine or energy drinks -Understand that traffic will be heavy and don’t let your frustrations tempt you to take chances
-Watch the weather and adjust travel to accommodate road conditions -Wear your seat belt -Use safety seats for children -Don’t speed -Use your cruise control to prevent speeding -Don’t phone and drive- pull over when using cell phones -Don’t drink and drive Continue reading
The year-end holiday season will kick off with more than 41 million Americans hitting the road for trips of 50 miles or more during the Thanksgiving weekend, according to AAA estimates, and authorities are preaching caution during the final two months of the year as holiday travel, shopping and congestion too often clash with drunk drivers and winter weather.
The Chicago car accident lawyers and drunk driving accident attorneys at Abels & Annes urge motorists to head safety warnings, designate a driver, and enjoy the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.
While the “Don’t Drink and Drive” message may be at its loudest when it comes to New Year’s Eve, more people were seriously injured in Illinois car accidents on Thanksgiving (961) and Christmas (841) last year than during any other holiday.
The New Year’s holiday reported the fewest injuries (575) but the most fatalities (10) of the trio of year-end holidays. Nine people were killed on Christmas and 8 died over the Christmas holiday, according to figures recently released by the Illinois Department of Transportation as part of its 2008 traffic study. More information from the study is available by visiting the Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog.
Chicago drunk driving accidents and drunk drivers nationwide are responsible for large numbers of holiday fatalities.
On average from 2001 to 2005, about 40 percent of Christmas and New Year fatalities nationwide involved a drunk driver compared to 28 percent during the rest of December, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
In 2007, drunk driving accidents made Thanksgiving the deadliest holiday of the year, claiming 548 lives, followed by Labor Day (519), Memorial Day (491), Christmas (468), New Year’s (391) and Fourth of July (200).
At particular risk are young people, according to federal statistics. More than 300 young drivers ages 21 to 24 are involved in fatal crashes during the last half of December each year. One-third of the 1,710 deaths from 2002-2007 were the result of drunk driving accidents that claimed 649 lives.
In Illinois during the 2007 Christmas-New Year’s Holiday, 214 young drivers were killed and almost half –92–were impaired.
Nationwide, an average of 36 people a day are killed by a drunk driver, compared to 54 per day during the three-day New Year’s Holiday and 45 per day during Christmas.
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The state has been recognized for its efforts to reduce serious and fatal Illinois car accidents involving teenagers.
The Chicago car accident lawyers and the Illinois child injury attorneys at Abels & Annes encourage parents to visit the Operation Teen Safe Driving program with their young drivers.
Motor Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, accounting for one-third of all deaths. In 2007, 11 teens between the ages of 16 and 19 died every day in motor vehicle crashes.
Male teenagers are more than 1.5 times more likely to die in a traffic accident than young female drivers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC also reports newly licensed teens and teens with passengers are at increased risk of an accident — and the more passengers the greater the risk. Other risk factors include speeding, driving under the influence, low seat-belt usage rates, and inability to recognize and compensate for dangerous road situations.
The award for Illinois’ teen driving program came from the Roadway Safety Foundation and the Federal Highway Administration.
“Keeping teen drivers safe on the road is an obligation that we should all take seriously,” said Greg Cohen, executive director of the Roadway Safety Foundation. “As the most inexperienced drivers on our highways, continuing driver education programs for teens are absolutely essential. By talking to teens where they listen, Illinois has set a great example for every state to follow.”
Illinois’ peer-to-peer driving program, in partnership with Allstate Foundation and Ford Motor Company’s Driving Skills for Life program, challenges teens to develop school-wide programs to positively impact teen drivers. Safety advocates say the program resulted in a 40 percent reduction in teen driving deaths during 2007-08.
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The state of Illinois has launched a new campaign aimed at reducing the number of fatalities on Illinois roadways this year by at least 100.
The Illinois Department of Transportation and Illinois State Police announced Operation Save 100 began Thursday and will run through the end of 2009, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The Chicago injury lawyers and wrongful death attorneys at Abels & Annes published a report last week at Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog taking a look at the 1,043 fatal Illinois car accidents last year.
That represents a 1.6 percent decrease from the year before, and the lowest fatality rate since 1923, but state officials want to best it by saving at least 100 lives and bringing this year’s total to 943 or less.
While there appears to be a high chance for success — 781 died on Illinois roads through last week compared to 883 during the same period last year — November and December are traditionally two of the deadliest months of the year as holiday travelers, drunk drivers and winter weather converge to increase driving hazards.
Saving 100 lives would also save $100 million — the state estimates each road fatality costs about $1.2 million.
“We continue to put our best efforts forward and work to save more lives every day,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig. “We have a wonderful partnership with Illinois State Police in this effort and we are doing everything possible to keep Illinois drivers safe behind the wheel.”
Operation Save 100 began Thursday Nov. 12 and runs through the end of the year. During the 8-week campaign, more than 400 law enforcement agencies are being asked to enhance operations and provide weekly activity and crash reports.
The campaign will be augmented by television and radio interviews, press releases, news conferences and other community action statewide.
Illinois traffic fatalities have been declining, from 1,248 in 2007 to 1,043 last year. Nationwide, 37,261 people were killed in traffic accidents in 2008, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Last year, Illinois was one of only 10 states to log more than 1,000 traffic deaths, according to government statistics.
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