Safe Driving Habits on the Tollway

 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Car Accidents

Tollway roads in the state of Illinois offer a number of great advantages for drivers needing to get around quickly and efficiently. The intricacy of the roadway system combined with heavy traffic patterns throughout these roads often creates many opportunities for tollway accidents, however. Merging lanes, multiple destinations and exits, and countless drivers flooding the roads during rush hour times mean higher risk all the way around for potential accident and injury.

To reduce your chances of being involved in a tollway related accident, avoid the following five habits when behind the wheel:

1. Tailgating: Rear-end collisions are very common on tollway roads, especially in the midst of work zones or tollway lanes, where drivers sometimes slow down or come to a complete halt. Reducing your speed through these areas and giving the car in front of you enough space is crucial to avoid rear-end accidents, which can be especially treacherous on these fast-paced highways.

2. Switching Lanes at Toll Plazas: When entering or exiting toll lanes, it is important to exercise extreme caution, as many drivers take a chance switching lanes at the last minute. The solid lines on the road exist to alert drivers to choose and stay in a lane until they have completely passed through the tollway plaza.

3. Stopping in an I-PASS or Online Pay Lane: It is very common for drivers to unintentionally get stuck in IPASS or Pay Online lanes, leading to erratic lane changes in the toll plaza or complete halts. If you discover at the last minute that you are in the wrong lane, do not stop and try to switch directions. You may slow down, proceed through the toll plaza, and visit the Illinois Tollway website within 7 days to pay the proper toll.

4. Using a Phone or Other Devices: Using a cell phone while driving is illegal in the state of Illinois, regardless of the circumstances. Distracted driving on toll roads is especially dangerous, as extreme vigilance is necessary as you navigate through the rapidly changing traffic patterns. Calls and texts can wait. Turn your phone off and put it away until you have reached your destination.

5. Failing to Yield to Approaching Emergency Vehicles: When emergency vehicles approach from behind you while driving on the tollway, Illinois law requires you to reduce your speed, change lanes if possible, and proceed with caution - wait until the emergency vehicle has successfully passed you and until surrounding traffic has resumed its natural pace before increasing your speed again. Failing to yield to ambulances is a common cause of accident and injury on the highway.

Should you find yourself involved in a tollway related accident of any kind, protecting your rights begins with speaking to a qualified Lake County car accident attorney, who has the skills and knowledge to properly represent you in a court of law. The moment you experience a collision resulting in injury, call Salvi & Maher, LLP at 847-662-3303 for a special consultation.

Sources:

https://www.illinoistollway.com/projects/work-zone-safety