Auto Accident

Uber Introducing Self-Driving Cars in America

August 18, 2016 | By Dave Abels

Uber has exploded on the Chicago transportation scene in recent years. More and more people are opting to make Uber their go-to means of transit and favoring the ride share program over taxi cabs, personal cars, and even L trains and buses. As Uber expands, the company has been looking at innovating in new ways to keep their edge and to make themselves the first choice in rides for Americans as well as those in cities across the world. After all, Uber’s presence in 506 cities globally makes them a force to be reckoned with and that is unlikely to change for some time.

Today, Uber is making headlines as it has announced its plans to introduce self-driving vehicles in at least one major market and to have those vehicles on public roadways as early as this month. Illinois Uber users will not be experiencing these automated rides yet but those who grab an Uber in Pittsburg could have an entirely new type of experience.

Uber reports that its first fleet of self-driving vehicles will arrive in the Pittsburg area as a test market to see how these vehicles provide rides to Uber customers. The Volvo XC90s will drive themselves but will not be unmanned on the roads as an engineer will be behind the wheel and a co-pilot will also be present. Uber claims that the engineer will be able to take over in the event of a risky situation or an emergency, thereby ensuring the safety of passengers while this self-driving technology is still advancing.

The 100 Deadliest Days of Summer: Staying Safe During Summer Travel

July 28, 2016 | By Dave Abels

Rooftop BBQs, long days at the beach, and an endless string of parades, festivals, and concerts make Chicago the place to be once the temperature rises. City residents, Illinois suburbanites, and families from across the Midwest flock to our great city to see what Chicago summertime has to offer. Many residents also take advantage of the warm weather to travel elsewhere and vacation with family or friends.

However, a deadly trend accompanies the sunshine and fun: the 100 deadliest days. The 100 deadliest days span from Memorial Day to Labor Day, creating a spike in death rates caused by motor vehicle collisions. These numbers especially increase for teen drivers, with around 1,022 people perishing in accidents involving teens within those 100 days of summer each year. That’s around 10 lives lost every day.

During the summer motor vehicle collision rates experience a significant increase. With young and inexperienced drivers free from their textbooks, tourists coming into the city, and residents exiting, there are more vehicles on the road creating a higher chance for collisions. Chicago and the whole state of Illinois experience increased traffic and congestion on expressways making travel more dangerous.

Wet Road Driving Tips to Avoid an Accident

July 25, 2016 | By Dave Abels

If you like weather that changes so often it makes it hard to prepare for the day, then Chicago may be a perfect place for you to live. Over the last few days we have seen torrential rainstorms and bright sunny skies, not to mention wind so strong that it could knock down a pedestrian. Soon we will have to contend with sleet and other weather-related conditions that make driving on our roadways difficult and even hazardous.

With water and moisture one of the primary weather-related threats to safety on the expressways in July, it is a good idea to be familiar with strategies for driving in the rain that will improve your odds of arriving at your destination without a car accident occurring.

Pokémon Go is Contributing to Pedestrian, Car Accidents

July 14, 2016 | By Dave Abels

With the advent of mobile technologies, the ability to remain connected to the global world and to one another has increased exponentially, allowing smart phone users and others to access information they want at the touch of finger – whether they are at home, at work, or walking around Chicago. Game developers have taken note over the years and many smart phone-specific games have gained almost a cult following with millions of downloads and people playing and talking about the games constantly.

The newest iteration of this phone-based game mania has arrived in the form of Pokémon Go, an augmented reality game that can be played on both Android and iOS based platforms. Since its release in July of 2016, it became the most downloaded app in the United States in itsfirst three days and it has been downloaded several million times total.

The game itself is free to download and play but there are options for in-game purchases if players choose to make them. Users can hunt the real world for virtual Pokémon who may appear in any spot from a player’s own backyard to an office building, a local cafe, a warehouse, or even on the bus seat next to you. Players can hunt for Pokémon as they go about their normal day’s activities as a smart phone’s GPS capabilities have the player’s account move in the real world as the player’s phone moves. Different types of Pokémon live in different areas of the world so if a player’s goal is to capture as many as possible, that player will have to look in a variety of settings for these virtual creatures.

The Mechanics of a Rollover Car Accident

July 11, 2016 | By Dave Abels

Any type of car accident on a Chicago roadway can be a terrifying event. Whether it is a rear-end collision, a head-on crash, or even an accident that stems from a driver running a red light, the drivers and passengers involved in the incident may realize their lives changed forever due to the collision. In the worst incidents, someone involved will be killed, leading to a loss that can never be repaired and to suffering that can never be righted among the loved ones of a victim.

Any type of collision can cause injuries or death but among the most dangerous are rollover car accidents. In Illinois, like elsewhere in the nation, rollover incidents account for a very small number of the total crashes but a relatively high proportion of the total deaths caused in traffic accidents. Roughly three percent of American collisions involve a rollover but roughly 30 percent of all traffic deaths among those riding in a passenger vehicle happen in a rollover accident.

Tesla in Self Driving Mode Involved in Fatal Car Accident

July 1, 2016 | By Dave Abels

The buzz around the advent of self-driving vehicles has been enormous in recent years. Spurred on by both a desire to improve the quality of life among motorists as well as a widely held belief that self-driving cars will reduce car accidents in Chicago and in the nation, manufacturers have been racing to produce the first, the best, and the most advanced versions of autonomous driving to date.

No one disputes that a large number of collisions across the country are due to the mistakes of drivers themselves. The thought is that eliminating the human error potential when driving will lead to a crash-free world where people no longer lose their lives or suffer injuries due to traffic accidents. However, we are far from that potential reality and new information suggests we have a long way to go as U.S. officials have confirmed the first known death associated with a car in self-driving mode.

Out-of-Pocket Hospital Costs are Increasing in Chicago

June 28, 2016 | By Dave Abels

Many people assume that if they have health insurance, they will be protected from big medical bills if they are ever hurt or injured. Unfortunately, it is not until after a car accident or other incident occurs that these individuals realize they are still faced with huge expenses, some of which may be impossible to pay for victims who did not even cause their own damages.

A recent study out of the University of Michigan has confirmed that the situation is getting even bleaker in the nation as out-of-pocket expenses related to hospital treatment increased 37 percent between 2009 and 2013. By the end of that time period, an average patient paid more than $1,000 for her own medical treatment at a hospital and that number did not include follow up care, physical therapy, medication, or other associated costs.

Chicago Shoulder of the Road Accidents Can be Deadly

June 16, 2016 | By Dave Abels

Car problems and emergencies happen when you drive in and around Chicago. Often, a motorist has little or no warning before a problem arises, forcing her to consider alternative plans without a lot of time to decide on a strategy. Depending on where you are driving, you may have several choices if you need to pull over and bring your vehicle to a stop. Ideally, you would exit the roadway entirely by pulling into a parking lot, alleyway, or other less traveled area so that you do not pose an ongoing safety risk to others. However, in some cases, it may not be possible to leave the roadway and you may be forced to stop on the shoulder of the road.

The shoulder of the road exists for several reasons. First, it provides an extra buffer or area of cushion for drivers between a lane of traffic and a soft ground surrounding the roadway. This is particularly true around interstates, expressways, and tollways in Illinois that have grassy medians and open lands around them. Secondly, shoulders can provide an area for a vehicle to stop temporarily in the case of an emergency. Without a shoulder, cars that could not make it to an exit ramp would be forced to stop within a lane of traffic, significantly increasing the risk that they cause a car accident or other traffic-related incident involving themselves and others.

Risks of a Tire Blowout Car Accident are High in Summer

June 13, 2016 | By Dave Abels

There is nothing quite like summer in Chicago. The days are long, the temperatures are warm, and there are activities happening in every neighborhood of the city. Summer here is so great that many claim they survive the winters only because they know summer is on its way.

But with all the great things summer bring unfortunately comes some increased risks for injuries and damages, and among those risks are tire blowout car accidents. While tire blowouts can happen in any month of the year, they are more likely during the summertime when temperatures are warmer and the integrity of a tire more likely to fail.

Red Light Car Accidents Often Lead to Pileups in Chicago

June 7, 2016 | By Dave Abels

Making a mistake or an error while driving can easily lead to a car accident regardless of where you are driving. If you fail to heed Illinois traffic laws, you may place your vehicle in the same location as a secondary car, leading to an impact that could cause a range of damages including injuries to those involved.

One of the most dangerous activities a driver can do while behind the wheel is to ignore a red light. Running a red light is a traffic violation in Chicago and is particularly dangerous as it can lead to a blind collision. Unlike accidents where a motorist can see an impact coming, often a red light collision involves cars traveling at right angles to one another colliding. This means that a victim rarely has enough time to anticipate a crash to take evasive action or to brake, leading to a collision with significant force.

But beyond the initial impact comes another very real possibility: the chance for a pileup or a multi-car crash. Unfortunately, the act of running a red light puts a vehicle against the flow of traffic in an intersection and often affects several cars nearby.