Auto Accident

Automatic Braking Will Be Standard by 2022

March 18, 2016 | By Dave Abels

Technology has been changing the way we drive for years now, and many new features have resulted in an increase in safety on American roadways. One such feature is automatic emergency braking, a system that combines sensors outside of a vehicle to detect potential hazards and then automatically triggers the brakes if the system determines a vehicle is at risk for a car accident.

Automatic emergency braking (“AEB”) is triggered when drivers fail to take appropriate action to slow or stop their cars, thus significantly reducing the number of rear-end accidents and other forms of collisions that happen every year. As rear-end crashes are the most common form of traffic accident comprising one-third to one-half of collisions, any significant reduction in these incidents is expected to save billions of dollars in economic damages, prevent thousands of injuries, and save countless lives.

Until recently, AEB has been an optional feature present mostly on high-end new cars, protecting some but still covering only a limited portion of drivers. Yesterday, though, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety announced that 20 automobile manufactures comprising more than 99 percent of the American auto market will introduce AEB as a standard feature on their vehicles no later than September 1, 2022.

Nighttime Driving: Is It Always Safe?

March 16, 2016 | By Dave Abels

There are nearly 13 million people living in Illinois, and of those, nearly three million people call Chicago home. That is a big population for a relatively small geographic area, meaning everything from our restaurants to our trains to our streets are crowded. A big city also means that something is happening at all hours of the day and night, leading people to move about in the early morning hours and even late into the evening.

As a result, Chicago residents often must drive in the dark. Most do so without a second thought, turning on their headlights and proceeding on their way. Few realize that simply being on the roadway when it is dark outside makes you more likely to be the victim of a car accident than you would be during the day, even if you operate your vehicle in a safe and reasonable manner.

Night hours bring a perfect storm of threats to drivers. The late hours mean that motorists are more likely to be tired or sleepy behind the wheel and that their reaction times will be slower as a result. Plus, the absence of sunlight has been proven to negatively impact depth perception, color perception, and a driver’s peripheral vision, meaning a decreased ability to perceive changing traffic conditions and obstacles that are oncoming.

If you need to drive at night, consider these following tips to stay as safe as possible:

Injuries Often Result from Rear-End Car Accidents

March 9, 2016 | By Dave Abels

On average, around one out of every two car accidents in the nation is a rear-end collision. This makes a rear-end crash the most common type of reoccurring crash in the nation, and in Chicago for that matter. These crashes can range from the most minor of impacts to the most extreme, and as a result, the fallout from an accident can vary widely.

It is a common misconception that injuries do not occur if a crash involves one car rear-ending another. While that may be true some of the time, it is not always the case and many people will have their lives altered permanently do to a rear-end car accident.

Seat Belt Use Is On the Rise – But Still Too Low

March 7, 2016 | By Dave Abels

Experts agree that the most important thing you can do to increase your safety in the event of a car accident in Chicago is to wear your seat belt – not some of the time, not on occasion, but every single time you drive or ride in a car. Seat belts have been designed and engineered with the sole purpose of protecting a vehicle’s occupants from harm when a crash takes place and they do a good job at reducing the risks of deaths or fatalities in collisions.

Good news has emerged on the subject of seat belt usage, according to recently released information by the federal government. Data from the National Occupant Protection Use Survey reveals that 88.5 percent of motorists in the country used seat belts in 2015, an increase from 86.7 percent in 2014.

Freezing Rain Will Complicate Chicago Driving

March 1, 2016 | By Dave Abels

During a typical winter season, the first significant storm may pose the greatest danger to safety. Drivers are not used to operating in inclement conditions, they may need to adjust their speeds and steering to counteract the cold and snow, and some vehicles will not be ready for winter temperatures. But after that first storm, often a late season cold front after a day or more of spring-like weather can be the most dangerous. Following a thaw, some people will forget that another storm can be in the forecast and therefore may encounter the poor weather unexpectedly, increasing the likelihood that they will be involved in a car accident.

That is the unfortunate situation some drivers will find themselves in today as freezing rain, snow, and sleet are expected to strike Chicago, complicating the commutes of hundreds of thousands who will try to make it into the city. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory which will remain in effect until 9:00 a.m. CST today but the storm’s fallout will have an impact on the city for much longer.

More Than Texting: The Many Forms of Distracted Driving

February 26, 2016 | By Dave Abels

Distracted driving is being discussed so often in the media that the phrase is becoming commonplace, so regular that some drivers tune it out when it is aired. Others hear the works distracted driving and immediately think of texting while driving or using a cell phone behind the wheel but may not think of anything else.

But distraction takes many more forms than just a cell phone and new data is suggesting that any form of distraction can be an extreme issue for roadway safety.

Based upon information from Virginia Tech, the Huffington Post reports that distraction can double the odds of a car accident taking place. If a crash does happen, vehicles will most likely be damaged, leading to financial costs to repair or replace them. Occupants of the cars may be hurt and may be in need of medical treatment. And some victims may be forced to miss time from work, preventing them from earning the wages they otherwise should have and limiting their ability to support themselves and their families.

Winter Is Coming – Again – To Chicago

February 23, 2016 | By Dave Abels

If you enjoy sunny skies and warm temperatures, you may want to go into hiding tomorrow and remain indoors through Thursday. Meteorologists have reported a winter storm coming to Chicago which is expected to bring snow showers and moderate winds, possibly leading to traffic issues and other hassles among commuters in Illinois and those who have to leave their homes.

The good news is that this storm is expected to leave approximately one to three inches in the downtown area, enough to inconvenience the city but not enough to bring it screeching to a halt. The bad news is that even this small amount will significantly increase the possibility of car accidents, pedestrian accidents, and bicycle accidents taking place and will raise the odds that people will be hurt as a result.

Speed Cameras May Provide Safety Benefits

February 22, 2016 | By Dave Abels

Recently, many drivers in the Chicago area have expressed frustration, annoyance, and even anger at the placement of speed cameras, or remote cameras that automatically detect and then can arrange citations for those who exceed the speed limit. Here, tickets from a speed camera are called Automated Speed Enforcement Violations and they typically target motorists who exceed posted speed limits in school zones and near parks, so in Chicago, a wide area is affected. The system runs off 3D tracking radar which monitors the speeds of passing vehicles and which triggers the use of a high definition still and video camera if a vehicle is determined to be traveling too quickly; images of the car and of the car’s license plate are captured so that the owner of the vehicle can be ticketed in the mail for his or her conduct in defiance of the law.

However, an investigation by the Chicago Tribune with data released in November concluded that the cameras in Chicago issued $2.4 million in improper fines, giving drivers tickets when the cameras were supposed to be inactive or when the signs about enforcement zones were confusing. This led many in the area to protest the unfair nature of speed cameras and to question whether their use was really designed to improve safety or simply to raise revenue for Illinois.

Crash Injuries from 2012 Cost Americans $18 Billion in Medical Expenses

February 18, 2016 | By Dave Abels

Car accidents and traffic collisions are a devastating part of American society. Though they occur every day, the impact they cause is never routine and the results can be tragic. Figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that traffic crashes in 2012 resulted in $18 billion in lifetime medical costs for injured victims, a number that will shock many in the nation.

When thinking about a car collision in the abstract, many people picture minor inconvenience and damage to the vehicles involved. Some realize that injuries might stem from those crashes and that victims may be in need of medical help, but few consider that many of these injuries will last for months, years, or even the remaining lifetime of those who survive a collision, necessitating medical help at every step during life. Though approximately $13.5 billion of the lifetime medical costs will be incurred in the first 18 months following a crash, the remaining $4.5 billion will be spread out over the years that follow as the most severely hurt victims will require continued care.

Half of Car Accidents Happen within 5 Miles of Home

February 17, 2016 | By Dave Abels

The average driver in the Chicago area wants to stay as safe as possible while behind the wheel. When it can be avoided, no one chooses to be involved in a car accident or a collision and instead everyone prefers to remain accident-free and uninjured which begs the question: how can drivers remain safe? This seemingly simple question is really anything but as hundreds, if not thousands, of factors can lead to a crash and can alter the lives of those involved.

The best thing you can do is be aware of the common risks for a collision and take whatever steps you can to avoid those risks or to alter your habits if a risk arises.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, operating a vehicle close to your home may be a major factor in whether or not a crash happens. Of all collisions in the nation, approximately 52 percent happened within a five mile radius of a driver’s home and approximately 69 percent took place within a 10 mile radius of a driver’s home. These numbers are huge and illustrate just how serious of an issue it can be to drive in familiar areas.