Study Focuses on Countermeasures to Reduce Risks of Distracted-Driving Car Accidents in Illinois and Elsewhere

The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) recently released a summary of the affects and consequences of distracted driving. The organization is giving the information to states, which are encouraged to make changes.

The information was taken from nearly 400 papers written between 2000 and 2011 about driver distraction. According to distraction.gov, more than 5,400 people were killed in 2009 because of car accidents in Chicago and elsewhere that involved a distracted driver. Approximately 448,000 people were injured because of these incidents.

Out Chicago personal injury attorneys understand that distracting diving habits can oftentimes produce fatal consequences. Distractions affect a driver's ability to react to road hazards and could be involved in as many as 30 percent of all traffic fatalities. The new report, "Distracted Driving: What Research Shows and What States Can Do." aims to determine which countermeasures can be taken by state officials to help reduce the risks of these types of accidents.

The study was funded by a grant from State Farm. The report also illustrates exactly what distracted driving is, how a distraction can impact a driver's abilities, how often motorists are distracted behind the wheel, and what the crash risks are for these types of accidents.

“Despite all that has been written about driver distraction, there is still a lot that we do not know,” said GHSA Executive Director Barbara Harsha.

The distracted driving report made the following findings:

-Distractions significantly affect a driver's performance.

-Drivers have been found to drive while distracted about half of the time they're behind the wheel.

-Drivers have the ability to adapt. Drivers are able to focus more of their attention on driving and reduce the attention focused on a distraction in a risky driving scenario.

-Texting behind the wheel is much more dangerous that using a cell phone while driving.

States, according to the report, should consider the following countermeasures to combat the problem:

-Continue low-cost road measures, including centerline rumble strips. These strips alert drivers that a vehicle is drifting out of the lane.

-Consider enacting a texting ban for all drivers.

-Consider enacting a complete cell phone ban for all drivers. This ban is most effective when hands-free devices are included in the law.

-Keep a record of all distracted-driving accidents. This information will help officials to evaluate any current distracted driving laws or programs.

-Conduct research before enacting new distracted driving-related laws. Government officials should research areas in which the desired laws are already in effect to determine how they could potentially affect local traffic.

-Continue to enforce current distracted driving-related laws.

-Encourage all employers to create and enforce an anti-cell phone policy in the workplace. This is especially important for employees who drive on the job.

In the state of Illinois, all drivers are prohibited from using a cell phone while driving through a school zone or in a highway construction zone. All school bus drivers and those who are under the age of 19 are also prohibited from using a cell phone while behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. All drivers in the City of Chicago have been banned from using a hand held cell phone while driving. No driver is the state is allowed to text while driving.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident with a distracted driver, the personal injury attorneys and wrongful death lawyers at Abels & Annes offer you a free and confidential appointment to discuss your rights. Call (866) 99-ABELS. There is no fee unless you win.

More Blog Entries:

Windy City Drivers Among the Nation's Worst -- Chicago Car Accidents Often Result, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, September 12, 2011

As the School Year Begins, Officials Focus on Preventing Teen Car Accidents in Illinois, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, August 31, 2011

Chicago Car Accident Lawyer

July & August -- Deadliest Months for Teen Car Accident in Chicago and Elsewhere

According to a number of studies, summertime is the deadliest days for teens on our roadways. More teens die because of car accidents in Chicago and elsewhere during July and August alone.

We recently covered this topic on our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog. We reported that car accidents are the number one cause of deaths for those ages 15- to 20-years-old in the United States. Drivers are most likely to die during their first year and first 1,000 miles of driving.

The Indiana Traffic Safety Report is one of the most recently released studies involving teen accidents during the summer months. So let's see what our friends and neighbors have to say. This report shows detailed information on accidents, fatalities and the various factors that increase the likelihood of a crash, such as drunk driving and speeding, according to the Pharos-Tribune.

The report shows that the number of fatal accidents, which sat at 631 in 2009, showed a decrease of 12.6 percent from 2008. Unfortunately, that number jumped back up by 11 percent in 2010. The numbers in Illinois are expected to mirror these trends.

In an attempt to help keep teens safe on our roadways during the next few months, the Illinois Department of Transportation's Operation Teen Safe Driving will be continuing its efforts in making a difference in the lives of Illinois teen drivers across the state. This program encourages teens to wear a seat belt, abide by posted speed limits, avoid driving distractions and avoid drinking and driving. For the last 5 years, the program has pushed efforts to the max and has successfully witnessed a near 50 percent decline in teen deaths in Illinois from 2007 to 2010.

Operation Teen Safe Driving works hand in hand with the Ford Motor Company Fund, The Allstate Foundation, Governors Highway Association, Governor Pat Quinn, Secretary of State Jesse White, Illinois State Police, Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Division of Traffic Safety.

According to the most recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data, nearly 5,500 drivers age 15- to 20-years-old were involved in deadly car accidents in the United States in 2009. In these accidents, nearly 2,500 young drivers were killed. Another 196,000 drivers from these age group sustained injuries from these accidents. This means that more than 10 percent of all drivers that were involved in fatal accidents in 2009 were between 15- and 20-years-old. During that same year 1,077 teens died because of drunk driving accidents.

In 2009, Illinois witnessed nearly 150 traffic accident fatalities of those in this young age group.

“Driver behavior plays a critical role in safety, particularly for new, inexperienced drivers,” said Mike Robinson, vice president, GM Environment, Energy and Safety Policy.

For this reason, parents are urged to get involved in their teen's diving habits over these summer months. Know where they're going and when they'll be home. Make sure that they follow all roadway rules, laws and regulations. Try enacting a parent-teen contract to get your young driver to agree on and abide by some important and safe ground rules.

If you have been injured in a car accident, contact the Chicago personal injury lawyers at Abels & Annes for a free and confidential appointment to discuss your rights. Call (866) 99-ABELS. There is no fee unless you win.

Additional Resources:

Report: Summer months deadliest for motorists, by Maureen Hayden, Pharos-Tribune

More Blog Entries:

Pair of fatal auto accidents in the Chicago area highlights dangers of drunk driving , Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, July 14, 2011

16-year-old boy faces murder charges after causing deadly Chicago car crash , Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, July 12, 2011

National Safety Council Takes Nominations for 2011 Teen Driving Safety Leadership Award - Many Nominate Secretary of State Jesse White , Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, July 5, 2011

Chicago Car Accident Lawyer

Traffic Fatalities Hit Another Low in Chicago and Elsewhere - Now What?

Back in 1961, death records from motor vehicle accidents reached a record 11-year low of roughly 49 deaths per billion miles traveled on our public roads and peaked in 1966 with 55 deaths per billion miles of travel in 1966.

We've been fortunate enough to see a continuous decrease in these rates and have come to see a death rate as low as roughly 11 deaths per billion miles traveled. We saw this recent low record of deaths resulting from car accidents in Chicago and elsewhere in 2009, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Many credit this decrease to the creation by Congress of the National Highway Safety Bureau, the forerunner of the current National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) back in 1966. In '67 and '68, the first edition of federal motor vehicle safety standards was created.

Our Chicago car accident attorneys understand that these low records are something to celebrate, but we also recognize the need for more motorist participation in safe driving habits if we're going to continue making progress moving forward. Low fatality rates can also result in less attention being paid to safety concerns, or to complacency. As we've reported frequently, much of the reduction in the past few years can be attributed to the economic downturn -- the risk of serious and fatal accidents is expected to rise again with economic recovery.

“This is exciting news, but there are still far too many people dying in traffic accidents,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Drivers need to keep their hands on the steering wheel and their focus on the road in order to stay safe.”

There are a number of other contributors to this decreasing rate besides the federal motor vehicle safety standards. Some would like to show recognition to seat belt laws that some states have enacted, safety advocate groups against drunk driving, the economic downturn, laws banning cell phone use, graduated licensing laws and road improvements.

A large number of people would like to credit the new wave of vehicle crash worthiness tests for the decrease in these fatality rates. These tests began back in 1978 as the NHTSA started the first comparative safety test and released the information to the public. This test and the release of this information caused automakers to begin improvements to their vehicles safety standards.

Other organizations have jumped on the bandwagon and started to rate cars based on their safety features. From this, the IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK was created. This system allow consumers to choose their vehicles based on a safety and performance rating and to determine which vehicles are most likely to keep them safe in the event of an accident.

But where do we go from here?

Many are awaiting new crash avoidance technology, currently available in some new model cars, to take a majority of the risks of an accident out of the driver's hands and into the brain of the car. New technologies like these can help one to avoid collisions, to avoid veering out of a lane and to help stop the car if a driver fails to do so.

Many new vehicles come equipped with side-view assist, turn-by-turn navigation, adaptive headlamps and other features to ease the stress of driving. While these new technologies are meant to help avoid collisions, the IISH reports that these technologies are relevant in nearly 2 million accidents each year and are present in more than 10,000 fatal accidents.

Many safe driving advocates would like to see more road improvements to decrease these rates even more. Many would like to see more roundabouts. Roundabouts are intersection designs that both move more traffic and improve safety. These safe traffic intersections are just beginning to show up in the United States. If is estimated that if just 10 percent of intersections in our county with traffic lights were converted to roundabouts, we would be able to prevent approximately 70,000 accidents each year, with nearly 500 of them fatal.

“This continuing decline in highway deaths is encouraging, but our work is far from over,” said National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator David Strickland. “We want to see those numbers drop further. We will not stop as long as there are still lives lost on our nation’s highways. We must continue our efforts to ensure seat belts are always used and stay focused on reducing distracted and impaired driving.”

According to the NHTSA, fatal traffic accidents in the Unites States in 2009 took the lives of more than 25,000 vehicle occupants and injured another 2.35 million. Illinois saw more than 700 vehicles involved in fatal traffic accidents in 2009 alone. Of all SUVs, pickup trucks, vans, and other forms of vehicle transportation, passenger vehicles, which a majority of us drive, were involved in the greatest number of fatal accidents on out state's roadways.

With all of these advancements in road laws and regulations, car feature upgrades and roadway improvements, the most beneficial and effective way to decrease the number of car accident fatalities and increase the safety of motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists is to focus the attention inward and concentrate on our own driving habits.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, the personal injury attorneys and wrongful death lawyers at Abels & Annes offer free and confidential appointments to discuss your rights. Call (866) 99-ABELS. There is no fee unless you win.

Chicago Car Accident Lawyer

Feds delay rule aimed at preventing backover accidents in Chicago, elsewhere

Home Posted On: April 1, 2011 by Dave Abels

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced this week it is delaying a mandate that all new vehicles be equipped with backup cameras, which had been aimed at reducing Chicago parking lot accidents and accidents involving vehicles backing over victims in driveways.

Chicago personal injury attorneys understand the tragic consequences of such accidents, which frequently occur around the holidays and often involve a relative who strikes a small child or a child or older adult who is run down in a busy parking lot.


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