Illinois Injury Law Blog

As our Illinois drunk driving car accident attorneys recently reported, the second wrong-way, alcohol-related car accident in Illinois in just a week killed four people. According to ABC7, the accident happened on Interstate 80 in Hazel Crest around 2:30 p.m.

Despite such serious collisions, such as the drunk driving car accident in Hazel Crest, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is touting the recent reduction in the number of traffic accidents involving drunk drivers. The recent reduction was reportedly seen from 2006 through 2010. But perhaps they are calling it a victory too soon. There are still far too many innocent people dying on our roadways because of the actions of drunk drivers.

IDOT officials and law enforcement officers across the state say they're on it, increasing their enforcement efforts to target these irresponsible drivers.

“The reduction in impaired driving fatalities is due in large part to the team cooperation and dedication of IDOT, the Illinois State Police, and local law enforcement officers along with motorists who consistently comply with Illinois’ traffic safety laws,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Ann Schneider.

Schneider admits, though, that these improvements aren't entirely eliminating the problem. She says drunk drivers are still plaguing our roadways and taking the lives of innocent motorists.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and IDOT, the number of people killed in alcohol-related traffic accidents saw a steady decline from 2006 all the way to 2010. The largest reduction in the number of these fatalities was from 2007 to 2008, which saw a decline of nearly 100 fatalities. That's a reduction of nearly 20 percent. Between 2009 and 2010, there was a reduction in these types of accidents by about 5 percent. In 2010, there were nearly 300 people killed in alcohol-related crashes.

But we've still seen a lot of alcohol-related car accidents on our roadways in recent months. Drivers are asked to be cautious and drive sober. Alcohol-related traffic accidents are 100 percent preventable. We've already asked drivers to start off with a clean slate in 2012 and use the New Year to practice safer driving habits to make our roadways safer for everyone. It's never too late to turn around your driving attitude and pledge to be a safe driver. Being a safe driver could mean that you'll make a pledge to keep an eye out for irresponsible drivers along our roadways.