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Preparing for Illinois Winter Weather Driving
Although winter has not yet arrived, experts say that now is the time to winterize your vehicle. This helps to ensure that you and your family are ready and safe, long before the winter season arrives. Not sure what to do? The following provides information on how you can winterize your vehicle and reduce your risk of an auto accident this winter season.
Start with Tires and Brakes
There are a number of important steps to winterizing your car, but your tires are arguably one of the most critical. This is because your tires are your contact with the road. They help to ensure you can grip the slick road surfaces. So start by checking your tire tread. You should be able to insert a penny into the grooves, head down, and not see the face anymore. Anything less than that and you should consider adding a new set of tires to your list of purchases – preferably winter-weather tires. If you cannot afford winter tires, make sure you have chains for when the road gets extremely slick. You should also check tire pressure since colder weather can cause you to lose some of the air.
Intersection Accident Prevention
For a number of reasons, car accidents at intersections are extremely common, especially when it comes to motorist-to-pedestrian impact. On the surface, the primary reason for this is simple: Intersections present an endless potential for accident and injury, thanks to ongoing, conflicting activities.These collision hot spots are where two or more highways meet, pedestrian traffic is abundant, and motorists must make turns. All of these factors combined create the perfect opportunity for hazardous incidents to occur at these bustling junctions.
Accident Reduction
Past reports from the National Highway Traffic Administration have revealed that intersection-related crashes account for an overwhelming number of injuries and deaths throughout the United States. Out of over 5 million car crashes that occurred in the year 2008 alone, around 40 percent of them were due to intersection-related incidents. While that may not sound like a lot in the grand scheme of things, it certainly points to a problematic trend across the nation, making it even more apparent that preventing collisions at intersections is something every driver must take seriously.
Ignition Interlock Devices: What Are They and Do They Work?
As we reported this summer, Illinois introduced several new DUI laws in 2016 in an ongoing battle to reduce the number of drunk driving-related accidents. One change that went into effect this year lifted the prohibition on DUI offenders from driving at all during the first 30 days of a summary suspension with the use of an ignition interlock device. Offenders are now permitted to continue driving with restricted privileges provided that they install an ignition interlock device and submit to regular monitoring of the device to ensure their continued sobriety while driving.
Repeat offenders may also receive restricted privileges with interlock devices, and even four-time DUI offenders, previously banned from driving for life, may be eligible for restricted driving permits, again with an interlock device. Given that DUIs have risen over 20 percent in some areas over the last five years despite DUI law expansions, many are concerned that the devices are not as effective as intended.
Car Accident Liability
When a loved one is involved in a car accident, the entire family can be dramatically affected. Losing a family member is a tragic and traumatic event that can take years to recover from, both emotionally and financially. In some cases, multiple family members are involved in the accident, and in some worst-case scenarios, one family member may have even caused the accident and injury to another. One such case occurred in Niles early this year and has led to a lawsuit between family members.
Grandson Accidentally Strikes Grandmother with Car
In March 2016, a 79-year-old woman asked her 12-year-old grandson to help her place her 2005 Chrysler minivan in gear in a parking lot. The boy did so, and while the woman was walking up to open the driver’s side door, he accidentally shifted the car into reverse while his foot was on the gas pedal instead of the brake. The car struck the woman, and she was pronounced dead at the hospital later that day. The woman’s husband filed a wrongful death suit seeking an unspecified amount of money in Cook County Circuit Court accusing his grandson of negligence, claiming that the boy carelessly failed to keep the vehicle under control, failed to give warning, and failed to yield the right of way.
Car Accident Fatality Rate Highest during Winter Holiday Months
Car accidents are all too common throughout the year, but fatality rates spike during the winter months from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day. More cars than ever are on the road with families driving out of town to visit friends and family for the holidays, and often during the worst weather of the year. Holiday parties also often involve alcohol, and many drivers fail to take precautions to avoid buzzed or drunk driving.
Holiday Season Car Accident Injury and Fatality Rates
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that monthly fatality rates peak in the last quarter of the year, and the two of the four deadliest days on the road include December 23 and December 24. The number of motor vehicle fatalities are typically higher in the six holiday periods of the year, including Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Who Is Liable for Injuries in Bus Accidents?
Public transportation is a way of life in the Chicago-metro area. Every day, thousands of commuters ride the bus to work both in and out of the city, and children are transported to and from school by bus nearly every day of the year. With so many buses on the road, car accidents are inevitable, and on many occasions, injuries result.
Early this year, at least five people were injured when a school bus and a car collided in the South Shore neighborhood of Chicago. Yet another accident left 25 people injured, including several high school basketball players, when a car sideswiped a school bus. In most car accidents, it is relatively simple to determine who is at fault and, therefore, who is liable for any injuries sustained, but when a bus is involved, there may be many factors involved that can affect who is responsible for covering the damages.
Comparative Negligence in Illinois Car Crashes
When a car accident occurs in Illinois, it can be a frustrating and difficult time for all parties involved. In particular, when it seems clear that one driver’s negligence has caused the accident, the injured victims tend to feel angry that the at-fault driver could have been so careless on the road as to cause a dangerous accident. As such, many car accident victims in Lake County consider filing a car accident lawsuit. While it can be hard to focus on filing a claim when you are recovering from injuries and dealing with the aftermath of a serious traffic collision, a car accident lawsuit can allow you to recover damages for your losses. But what happens when you may be partially at fault for a crash in Lake County, IL, or at least partially to blame for your injuries?
Many car accident victims erroneously believe that they should not file a lawsuit if they bear any responsibility for the injuries they sustained in a car accident. However, this is a misconception that we want to clear up. To be sure, anyone in Lake County who is injured in a car accident caused by a negligent driver may be able to obtain financial compensation by filing a claim, even if she or he is partially to blame for the accident.
Whiplash Injuries from Car Accidents
Rear-end collisions have long been a common type of car accident on the highways. They are more prevalent today than ever before, as we continue to see significant increases in rear-end collisions due to crowded highways, heavy traffic, and the rise of distracted driving incidents, such as texting while driving. Whiplash is one of the most common injuries drivers experience when involved in a rear-end accident, resulting from the forceful back-and-forth movement of the neck upon impact.
Injury Prevention Basics
More than two million Americans each year experience whiplash firsthand, but many drivers are unaware of some basic facts surrounding the condition. Whether you have recently been involved in a rear-end accident or you know someone who has, the following information is essential to whiplash awareness:
Headrests make a difference.
Five Effective Bicycle Accident Injury Prevention
Bicyclists in the state of Illinois, like bike riders all across the country, regularly enjoy the benefits of bicycle transportation to commute and for leisure, but bike accident statistics consistently show us that extra precautions need to be made to ensure rider safety. Bicyclist safety is just as important for driver and pedestrian safety, as it only takes one accident to impact anyone in the collision’s path.
The Big Picture
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that in the year 2013 alone, there were an estimated 494,000 emergency department visits as a result of bicycle-related injuries. Within the same year, there were over 900 bicyclist fatalities, and data from the year 2010 revealed those involved in non-fatal crash-related injuries incurred lifetime medical costs due to their accidents. Despite the fact that only one percent of all trips made in the United States are by bicycle, studies show that bike riders have an overall higher risk of injury and death, even more so than those operating motor vehicles.
Pedestrian and Bicyclist Injury Prevention
Walking and biking to get from point A to point B has long been a popular, healthy alternative to transportation for commuters in the state of Illinois and across the globe, but a plethora of pedestrian accidents and bicyclist incidents create the need for ongoing accident prevention efforts. It is estimated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that there are around 127 million walking trips and nine million bicycle trips made every day in the United States alone, placing an astounding number of commuters at risk each day.
Designs Aimed to Increase Safety
As a response to the overwhelming need for increased safety measures, engineers and designers have worked together in the past and continue to team up in order to share ideas and find ways to improve road infrastructure for pedestrians and bicyclists alike. The development of special technologies and the use of innovative highway designs have allowed us to create more efficient, safer avenues of transportation for those choosing to commute by walking or biking.
Contact a Lake County Vehicle Accident Attorney Who is Ready to Help You
If you or a member of your family has been injured in a motor vehicle accident, contact our office. Call 847-662-3303 to set up a free initial consultation at one of our four convenient locations. There is no risk because we only collect fees if you collect compensation. With offices in Libertyville, Waukegan, Richmond, and Chicago, we represent clients in Lake County, Cook County, DuPage County, and McHenry County.
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