Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
“Understanding Distracted Driving” may not make it to the big screen, but the Illinois-based National Safety Council released this video campaign to make it to your screen.
This series of short videos aims to discuss the risks, dangers and consequences of distracted-driving car accidents in Chicago and elsewhere.
More specifically, the campaign focuses on the use of cell phones by drivers, which is becoming more and more common as technology continues to advance. In these videos, viewers can hear the personal story of NSC Senior Director of Transportation Initiatives David Teater whose 12-year-old son was killed in a car accident that was caused by a distracted driver.Through the videos, Teater discusses a dozen frequently asked questions pertaining to distracted driving. These explanations include how a cell phone causes a cognitive distraction, why it’s a particularly dangerous form of distraction and how companies can enact a cell phone-free policy in the workplace to help protect workers.
Our Chicago personal injury attorneys understand that while drivers in the city may be banned from using a cell phone behind the wheel, the truth is that some motorists routinely ignore the law. According to the Governors Highway Safety Administration, no driver in the state of Illinois is allowed to talk on a cell phone while driving through a construction zone or through a school zone. All school bus drivers and those under the age of 19 are banned from using a cell phone while driving in the state as well. Lastly, all drivers have been prohibited from texting while operating a motor vehicle.
This isn’t Teater’s first time addressing the dangerous driving behavior. He is a regular speaker on the topic. As a matter of fact he has proposed new legislation in front the U.S. Congress and a number of state legislatures. Each message is the same; he would like government officials to place restrictions on cell phone use by drivers in an attempt to save some lives.
“Cell phone use and driving are a dangerous, and oftentimes deadly, combination,” Teater said.
The NSC was the first organization to advocate a complete ban of cell phone use by drivers. The Council made its first such proposal back in 2009.
According to distraction.gov, approximately 5,500 people were killed in the United States in 2009 because of traffic accidents that involved a distracted driver. The use of a cell phone was the number one distraction in these accidents, accounting for approximately 20 percent of all of the reported distracted-driving accidents in 2009. The use of a cell phone, both hands-free and hand-held, by a driver gives them the same reaction ability as a driver who has a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 — the legal limit for drunk driving in Illinois. As a matter of fact, cell phone use makes a driver four times as likely to be involved in an accident.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a traffic accident with a distracted driver, the Illinois personal injury attorneys at Abels & Annes can offer you a free consultation 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
IDOT Worker Involved in Illinois Work Zone Car Accident Pronounced Dead, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, September 8, 2011