Illinois Injury Law Blog

A citywide awareness campaign organized by the Illinois Department of Transportation, Chicago law enforcement officials and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was kicked off recently by placing 32 mannequins along Wacker Drive to represent those who were killed in 2010 Chicago pedestrian crashes. The shock effect is meant to make motorists more cautious of pedestrians.

The Chicago Tribune reports a new city study found roughly 80 percent of crashes in Chicago involving a pedestrian and a vehicle occur at intersections. Most crashes happen while a pedestrian is using a crossing signal, which indicates that motorists are not yielding to people using the crosswalk. In looking at pedestrian crash data from 2005 to 2009, Chicago reported almost 17,500 crashes involving more than 18,350 pedestrians. The pedestrian fatality total for 2010 was only two fewer than the 34 reported in 2009.

Cook County pedestrian accident attorneys have been told that cab drivers were involved in almost 30 percent of the 3,000 pedestrian-vehicle crashes in 2010. Aggressive driving by drivers who are on the clock doesn't excuse negligence when a pedestrian is hit. Contact an attorney on how to proceed with a claim if you have been injured in a crosswalk by a vehicle.

Other key awareness and safety initiatives include safety messages written on sidewalks in high traffic areas; citywide awareness messages in ad spaces; crosswalk flags to be held while crossing the street; reaching out to schools, cab companies and senior citizen centers; and safety messages placed at bus shelters or on trash bins. Plainclothes police officers will also pose as pedestrians in crosswalks crossing the street and will ticket any driver that fails to stop. Illinois recently passed a law that drivers must stop -- not just yield -- to pedestrians. Violators could be cited with a penalty ranging anywhere from $50 to $500.

The goal for city officials is to reduce pedestrian deaths to zero by 2020. There was a hint of this months ago when the Chicago Pedestrian Plan was introduced. The Chicago Tribune reports the city was given $545,000 in federal grant money to conduct a study on pedestrian-related deaths, hit-and-run accidents and frequent crash areas where pedestrians seem to be most at risk.

New legislation has recently been introduced that would permit speed cameras to be installed throughout most of Chicago. The cameras would catch speeders similar to how red light cameras nab motorists who fail to stop for a red light. Broader "safety zones" would be utilized with the cameras rather than the high-accident locations identified in the recent city study.

Another effort being made by city officials during the pedestrian safety blitz worth mentioning is that stickers will be placed inside cabs to remind customers to call a non-emergency hotline if a cabbie is driving dangerously. A cab driver who is reported three times will be pulled in for a one-on-one with the Chicago Department of Transportation and could have his or her license revoked.

If you are riding in a cab with an aggressive or reckless driver, call 311 to report the driver. A pedestrian's life could be on the line if you fail to make the call.