Illinois Injury Law Blog

As young drivers head into a busy but exciting time of year, our Chicago personal injury attorneys want to remind teens to drive responsibly and be careful when driving on Illinois roadways.

With the excitement of Spring Break, prom, and graduation right around the corner, teens are most at risk of Chicago car accidents related to distracted driving or driving under the influence.

The leading cause of death for 15 to 20 year olds is motor vehicle crashes, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In 2008, over 2,700 young drivers were killed, and another 228,000 injured in motor vehicle crashes.

NHTSA reported that in 2008, 31% of young drivers killed in crashes had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .01 or higher. Alcohol-related crashes for young drivers are more prominent in males than females in reported data for 2008. Young drivers are also less likely to be restrained by sea tbelts in alcohol-related crashes.

Teens are often tempted this time of year to participate in parties that involve underage drinking. A recent article in Trib Local reported several teens cited for underage drinking at two separate parties that led to an alleged DUI accident. At both parties, numerous teens were charged with illegal consumption of alcohol by a minor. In addition, one 17 year-old was charged with resisting a police officer when he became argumentative about the situation.

In a separate incident, a 16-year old believed to have been drinking and taking drugs, was the passenger in a vehicle that was stopped after hitting a tree. Though the driver was of age to drink, he was tested over the legal limit at a BAC of .23. Both were charged of alcohol-related crimes but the driver was also cited for leaving the scene of an accident and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.

Teens are reminded to not fall into temptation when celebrating milestones like proms and graduations in the next few months. Celebrating at parties with friends can be fun but only if you survive and return home safely. Underage drinking is illegal and dangerous so refrain from peer pressure so that you and other motorist can remain safe on Illinois roadways. And above all, do not drink and drive.

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Our personal injury lawyers in Chicago frequently report that intersections are among the deadliest places on the road. Speeding and red-light running are daily occurrences, which frequently lead to serious or fatal Chicago car accidents.

The National Safety Council recently released a new study that indicates that fatal crashes at intersections have gone down when it comes to traffic lights and red-light running. Fatal crashes at intersections with a traffic light have fallen by 17% during a five year period from 2005-2009. Also during the span from 2005 to 2009, red-light running fatal crashes decreased by 27%.

"This report shows that we are making large strides as a nation in reducing crashes at intersections,” said Janet Froetscher, president and CEO of the National Safety Council. “However, despite the improvement there were still 12,396 fatal crashes at intersections with traffic lights, including 4,394 fatal intersection crashes involving red-light running during that five year period. While we are making progress, the 13,266 fatalities from these crashes remind us that we have much more to do. Each of us should consider these statistics and the measures we can take to protect ourselves, our families and our communities."

In 2009, Illinois reported over 80 fatal crashes at intersections with traffic signals according to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System used by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The state also reported at total of 67 fatal crashes at intersections with stop signs in 2009.

Cook County reported a total of 92 fatalities at intersection or intersection-related fatal crashes in 2009 according to the NHTSA. This was an increase from the previous year when Cook County reported 81 fatalities at intersections. Over the course of a five-year period from 2005-2009, the high was reached in 2007 when there were 124 fatalities at intersection or intersection-related crashes.

The great debate continues as to whether red light cameras installed at intersections are a saving grace, as we posted last month on our Chicago Car Accident Lawyer Blog. It is presumptuous to think that fatalities caused by intersection crashes will cease completely but studies are showing that something making a difference. Motorists growl about the fact that cameras don't serve a purpose except to be a money maker for municipalities where red light cameras are installed.

On the contrary, many cities are barely breaking even. CBS Chicago reported that many municipalities in Chicago are considering giving up red light cameras because the costs are exceeding the income. Revenues have dropped over the last couple of years. For example, one suburb of Chicago netted $1.1 million in revenue in 2008, compared to a mere $250,000 in 2010.

Are red light cameras working to reduce the number of fatalities occurring at intersections? Probably, but one thing is for sure. If motorists didn't speed through intersections to avoid having to sit at a red light, cameras wouldn't be needed at all.

Continue reading " Red-light cameras may be reducing number of Chicago car accidents at intersections " »

Last month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced a recall of almost 800,000 child safety seats manufactured by Dorel Juvenile Group (DJG) following a formal investigation that began last March.

Our personal injury lawyers in Chicago are reminding parents to check their car seats because your child's safety could be in jeopardy. Defective products are a growing concern, and in this case, could lead to a serious or fatal injury in an Illinois car accident or a traffic accident elsewhere in the United States.

DJG is recalling the safety seats due to the harness locking and release button not always working sufficiently. The button is designed to return to its locked position but doesn't always do so. As a result, the harness adjustment strap can slide back through the adjuster as a child moves around in the seat. A loose harness endangers the child by not strapping them in safely and can lead to serious or fatal injury in a car crash.

The child safety seats in question were manufactured from May 1, 2008 through April 30, 2009. They have a Center Front Adjuster for the harness. Recalled models include convertible, infant, and booster child restraint systems, sold both as stand-alone seats and as part of a travel system.

DJG is providing all consumers with a remedy kit meant to repair the problem. The kit will include instructions on how to apply the non-toxic lubricant to the Central Front Adjuster in order to prevent the sticking which will then allow the CFA to properly engage and lock into position. Consumers are instructed to apply a repair label once the procedure has been completed so that the problem is known to have been taken care of.

Consumers are still permitted to use the child safety seats up until the kit arrives from DJG. Parents and caregivers can pull on the shoulder part of the harness to make sure it is secure. If loose, they should adjust the harness and make sure the lock and release button is in the locked position before putting the vehicle in drive.

For a full list of models being recalled, consumers can visit Safercar.gov. Consumers can also contact the manufacturer directly by calling 1-866-623-3139.

Continue reading " Defective car seat illustrates risk of dangerous products in Chicago " »

Some schools that don't have the funding to offer driver education courses still have an opportunity to drive the point home to teens that get behind the wheel and drive distracted.

Ford Motor Company and Governors Highway Safety Association is providing the Ford Driving Skills for Life Program to 30 high schools in 15 states to teach teens about the dangers of driving distracted and driving under the influence according to a recent article in USA Today.

Our Chicago personal injury lawyers applaud the efforts made by Ford Motor Co. Distracted driving is a common cause when young drivers are involved in Chicago car accidents.

Last month we posted on our Chicago Car Accident Lawyer Blog that 16% of fatal crashes in 2009 involved a distraction-related cause. We also reported that the under-20 age group had the highest involvement in distracted driving fatal crashes, which was approximately 16% in 2009. Teens all over the country are being encouraged to participate in contests like the JST DRV radio public service announcement competition to bring awareness about the dangers of distracted driving to their age group.

Ford Motor Co. also accepts that challenge with the Ford Driving Skills for Life Program, which is a one day, three-course driver program; the company pays about $35,000 in costs for each clinic. The program is meant to give teens a hands-on experience with distracted driving situations as well as other common threats faced when driving. Participants are put in simulated experiences that teach them what it is like to drive while over the legal limit, drive in icy or treacherous road conditions, and drive with in-vehicle distractions causing them to lose their focus.

The one-day clinic evolved from a Ford program already established in Tazewell County, IL where 15 teens were killed in a 15-month period as a result of motor vehicle crashes. Ford designed a teen-driving-safety program that cut the death totals to zero for four consecutive years in the county's 7 schools. The program eventually expanded to include 100 schools statewide and has helped to cut young driver deaths in Illinois by 50%.

One difference in the Ford Driving Skills for Life Program, compared to other programs being offered, is the real life experience that teens are put in. An example is the drunken-driving course which places teens in a Ford Fusion. The teens drive sober around the course with orange cones; then are asked to put on Innocorp Fatal Vision goggles that simulate the driver driving with a blood alcohol content of .08. Teens experience first-hand the difference between driving sober and driving over the legal limit.

As an added incentive for teens to participate, Ford is sponsoring a songwriting contest. The Belt it Out contest requires teens to compose and record a song about distracted driving dangers. The winner will be awarded a $5,000 grand prize for the best composition.

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