Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
Welcome to the fourth entry of our 6-part blog series encouraging motorists to make safe driving New Year’s resolutions, as we all work to reduce the risks of car accidents in Chicago. We’ve already discussed the dangers of distracted driving and of drunk driving. This blog will be discussing the dangers of speeding.Our Chicago car accident attorneys understand that roughly 98 percent of traffic violations were issued to drivers because of speeding. The Daily Herald examined traffic citations that were issued in Villa Park, Addison, Wheaton, Algonquin, Schaumburg, Arlington Heights, Rosemont, Barlett, Palatine, Bensenville, Naperville, Carol Stream, Mundelein, Elgin, Lombard, Geneva, Lake Zurich, Glen Ellyn, Lake in the Hills, Glendale Heights, Itasca and Grayslake. Of the 41,700 citations that were issued to drivers, more than 40,800 of the citations were issued to drivers for speeding.
“Writing a speeding citation is pretty easy. All you have to do is point the radar or laser device at a vehicle and you’ve got the speed,” said Roy Lucke of Northwestern University’s Center for Public Safety.
As easy as it is for officers to bust speeders, it’s just as easy for speedy drivers to get into accidents. The faster a vehicle is traveling, the less time a driver has to react to a danger on the roadway.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were more than 910 people who died because of car accidents in Illinois that involved a speeding vehicle. Speeding-related accidents accounted for more than 30 percent of the fatal car accidents in 2009. These incidents took the lives of more than 10,590 people nationwide.
Although young men are most likely to speed behind the wheel, all drivers are asked to be cautious and to obey our roadways’ speed limits. In 2009, nearly 40 percent of male drivers in the 15- to 20-years-old age group who were involved in deadly accidents were speeding at the time of the collisions. In the 23- to 24-years-old age group, more than 35 percent of male drivers who got into a fatal accident were speeding upon impact.
As we recently reported, the Illinois State senate approved a measure to allow the City of Chicago to start using intersection cameras to bust speedy drivers in “safety zones.”
“This is clearly a request of the city, a request of the mayor, something that will result in the savings of lives, nothing more important than that,” said Senate President John Cullerton.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Transportation Commissioner Gabe Klein says that speeding cameras in these areas are focused on helping to protect pedestrians. The truth of the matter is that slowing down drivers can help to save lives on our roadways, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists and motorists.
Even when cameras aren’t peering down on license plated and speedometers, drivers are asked to remain cautious while driving. Speed limits are there to make our roadways safer. Speeding is a quick way to increase your risks of an accident. Make your New Year’s resolution to abide by all posted speed limits and you can even save some lives along the way.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a speed-related 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.
Additional Resources:
Illinois Senate approves Chicago speeding cameras, by Monique Garcia and Hal Dardick, Chicago Tribune
More Blog Entries:
Officials Continue Efforts to Help Reduce Risks of Distraction-Related Car Accidents in Chicago and Elsewhere, Chicago Car Accidents Lawyer Blog, January 1, 2012
Winter Weather and Holiday Travel Season Increase Risks for Illinois Car Accident, Chicago Car Accidents Lawyer Blog, December 28, 2011