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“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.
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The Obama administration will be throwing out a bunch of regulations regarding traffic signs. Junking these regulations is aimed at helping state governments that are running low on cash. Meanwhile, Congress is being urged to provide continuity for road construction projects nationwide by not holding up funding.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood reports that the U.S. Department of Transportation is considering a rule to allow communities to replace street signs as they wear, rather than mandating a deadline for periodic replacements. The new changes could potentially toss out more than 45 federal traffic control regulations.The replacement of traffic signs and other traffic-control devices is meant to help prevent car accidents in Illinois and elsewhere throughout the country. State and local governments are held responsible for keeping roads in effective working order. Inoperable street devices and worn signs increase the risk for accidents.

Our Chicago personal injury attorneys understand there are many possible causes for an accident. Inoperable or missing street signs or signals, defective roads, missing guardrail and overgrown vegetation are just a few of the common causes. An attorney can help you to analyze all aspects of your accident to ensure that all parties are held responsible for the damages.

At the beginning of the year, Obama requested that the government reexamine the regulations that are currently in effect. The goal of the reexamination was to help point out rules and regulations that could be changed or removed because they were out-of-date, unnecessary, too costly or burdensome.

“A specific deadline for replacing street signs makes no sense and would have cost communities across America millions of dollars in unnecessary expenses,” said LaHood.

The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) came up with idea to create a deadline for the replacement of these traffic and street signs. The devices regulated under this deadline include traffic signals, streets signs and markings on roadway pavement. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has been publishing the manual since 1971. Updates are made periodically to help to accommodate new transportation needs and to address the ever-changing safety technologies, traffic management techniques and traffic control tools.

According to FHWA Administrator Victor Mendez, local governments after better judges than federal agents in determining when these devices need to be replaced. The new regulations aim to put that responsibility with the state and local governments to help them to better disperse tax dollars.

With this responsibility lying in the hands of our government officials, it will be their duty to make sure that these devices are being properly maintained. Traffic accidents can be caused by a number of conditions in addition to road signs. They can also be caused by road conditions and construction. If you’ve been involved in an accident, contact an attorney to help you to assess the situation and determine who is truly at fault.
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An odd Chicago area auto accident has occurred in unincorporated Will County, according to the Chicago Tribune. On Saturday, a Lockport area home was struck by a neighbor’s vehicle, resulting in the death of a resident who was home at the time of the accident.

The victim, a 28-year-old man who lives in the 400 block of Conner Street, was trapped under the vehicle after it drove through the front of the house and finally stopped at the back of the house. The vehicle’s driver, a 63-year-old woman who resides across the road, was trying to back her 1995 Mercury Marquis down her driveway around 12:15 PM. At that time, she claims that her gas petal became stuck, which in turn caused her to reverse that a high rate of speed across the street and crash into the house. Neither the driver or passenger were seriously injured.

The victim was reportedly in the front part of the house when the accident occurred and was found under the automobile when emergency crews arrived after receiving a 911 call a couple minutes later.

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According to MSN, more than 5,000 children in the United States are hospitalized every year after falling out of a window. A quarter of these injuries are serious enough to have the child be admitted. These statistics haven’t seen much of an improvement either. Researchers report that there has only been a slight decrease in the number, making it a significant cause of child injury in Chicago and elsewhere over the last 19 years.”We continue to see this problem, especially in younger kids, despite the fact that we know how to prevent it,” Dr. Gary Smith at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

Our Chicago premises liability attorneys are aware that there have been nearly 100,000 children under the age of 18 treated in hospitals in the U.S. because of injuries that were sustained after falling out of a window in recent years. This means that about 7 injuries are sustained for every 100,000 children. These accidents can easily be prevented with proper supervision — particularly when the appropriate precautions are taken by building owners and landlords.

Most of these falls occur from a second-floor window. About half of the children who are injured sustain injuries to their head and face. About two in every 1,000 incidents is fatal.

Toddlers are the most vulnerable for these types of accidents. The young children account for about two-thirds of all of these accidents. This is most likely because they’re so curious and can oftentimes be found wandering around and exploring the unknown and because they’ve got such a high center of gravity. This means that toddlers oftentimes fall head first.

“As they lean over, their high center of gravity will make them topple,” says Smith.

Dr. Smith is encouraging his researchers to look further into the problem. He wants more cities and more locations to be included in the data.

He goes on to encourage parents to take the proper safety precautions to help prevent these accidents from happening to their child or at their home.

Dr. Smith’s safety tips:

-Make sure that kids do not have access to any windows in your home, no matter which floor they may be located on.

-Keep furniture away from windows. This will stop children from climbing on it to gain access to any window nearby.

-Consider window stops or window guards. Some cities already have these guards mandated. In New York, for example, all apartment buildings are required by Health Code to have guards on every window in the home if there is a child under the age of 11 living in it.

-Don’t rely on window screens. Window screens should never be used as a substitute for a window guard. Screens are oftentimes not strong enough to prevent a child from falling out of a window.
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As Illinois bicycle crash lawyers at Abels & Annes informed you last week, we recently filed a lawsuit against a negligent motorist who struck a teenager riding his bike.

Since that time Abels & Annes, working with co-counsel, have filed two additional bike accident lawsuits. In one case, a bicyclist was injured on September 5, 2010 when he was doored by a taxicab passenger.

The colliison took place on Diversey Street in Chicago in the westbound lanes. The taxi driver failed to pull over to the side of the road and stopped in the middle of the street. Without warning, the passenger then swung his door open to exit into traffic. Our client crashed into the cab door and fell off his bike onto the pavement.

Immediately after the collision, the bicycle rider started to experience pain and discomfort in his right knee, right thigh, left hand third finger, and his left shoulder. He was transported by ambulance to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center.

When he arrived at the ER a history was taken, he was examined and diagnostic tests were performed. Physical examination showed bruising to the left upper arm area, and obvious deformity to the middle finger, and significant right knee swelling. X-rays taken revealed a comminuted fracture of the middle phalanx of the middle finger of the left hand and right knee effusion.

The plaintiff was given pain medication, his finger was splinted and he was given a brace to immobilize his knee and crutches to ambulate. ER physicians referred him to a hand specialist for further care.

Our client saw an orthopedic specialist several days after the accident. The physician determined that surgery was necessary and performed a closed reduction, K-wire fixation of the left middle finger. Temporary pins were inserted into his finger and removed about a month later.

The client’s doctor later prescribed a course of occupational therapy to complete healing of the finger, and he continued to follow-up with the physician.

The bicyclist also had further treatment for his knee and shoulder with an orthopedic surgeon in north suburban Evanston. The physician prescribed additional physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medication and recommended continued use of his knee splint and crutches, to be weaned off slowly.

Due to the accident, our client incurred just under $35,000 in medical bills, plus $760 damage to his bicycle.

A lawsuit was filed because when we started to attempt to negotiate a bodily injury settlement on behalf of our client, we had two insurance companies pointing fingers at each other. The insurance company for the taxi driver was blaming the passenger for the accident, while the passenger (who has his own auto insurance policy) was blaming the taxi driver.

Due to this issue, our client agreed to proceed with a lawsuit to maximize his financial recovery against both defendants.

In another bike accident case, our client was injured when a driver of a 1994 Chrysler Concorde failed to yield while pulling out of an alley. The plaintiff was riding his bicycle in a northbound lane of traffic on Central Park in Chicago, just south of Harrison Street, when he was struck by the vehicle.

The Chicago Police Department responded to the scene of the accident. After an investigation, they placed the defendant at fault.

The bike rider was treated shortly after the accident at West Suburban Hospital in Oak Park. He sustained back, neck and left ankle injuries in the accident.
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School is back in session and young students are waiting on street corners for the big, yellow bus to come pick them up. As students lace up their new shoes and head out to the bus stop, it’s time for motorists to be watchful to help prevent school bus accidents in Chicago.Our Chicago injury attorneys ask that all motorists use caution on our roadways throughout this school year, but especially through schools zones and residential neighborhoods. Remember that there are a number of laws in our state that drivers must abide by while sharing the roadways with school buses.

Road laws pertaining to school buses, provided by the Illinois State Board of Education:

-If you see that the lights on the bus are flashing red and you see the stop arm extended, then you’re required to stop. These signals mean that students are either getting on or off the bus. You can earn yourself a $150 fine if you neglect to stop for these buses. Do it more than once and you can face fines of roughly $500. In addition to the fines, state law says that drivers who neglect to stop for these buses will have their license suspended for three months on their first conviction and a year for their second.

-When a bus stops to pickup/drop off children on a two-lane road, drivers are required to stop at least 20 feet away from the bus. This will help to allow students to cross the road safely.

-When a bus stops on a four-lane road where two of the lanes travel in the same direction, then only the vehicles heading in the same direction of the bus are required to stop.

-On one-way streets, all motorists are required to stop.

-According to Illinois state law, drivers of school buses must stop at all railroad crossings. They are required to do so even when there are no students riding on the bus.

-Drivers should hold off on using their cell phones while traveling near a bus. As of January 2010, all drivers in the state of Illinois were banned from using a hand-held cell phone while they’re traveling in a school zone. Drivers are still allowed to use hands-free devices.

-Don’t speed through school zones. If you’re busted for having a lead-food in a school zone then you could earn yourself a minimum fine of $150.

The National Safety Council (NSC) reports that approximately 25 million students use a school bus to get to and from school each year. Unfortunately, a number of students are injured and killed in school bus-related accidents every year. In 2005, the NSC recorded more than 130 deaths resulting from school bus-related accidents on U.S. roadways. They also recorded another 11,000 injuries from these incidents during that year.

The number of these injuries and deaths can be reduced with an increased effort from motorists throughout the state. Remember to follow state ruled regarding travel around our schools buses and to be extra cautious when passing through school zones.
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As the school year gets underway, we can expect a large number of students to be walking to school this year. More than 40,000 children in the northwest suburban School District U-46 relied on school buses to get them to and from school each day. But more and more of them will be forced to make the journey to school on foot. As a result of drastic budget cuts, $14 million to be exact, all high school students that ride a bus will be required to walk to the nearest elementary school or middle school to catch a bus ride the rest of the way to school, according to ABC 7. Increasing the number of walking students near our roadways increases the risks for Chicago pedestrian accidents.

Our Chicago personal injury attorneys understand that this plan is expected to save more than $1 million for each school year it’s in effect, but hopefully saving school budgets won’t put any child’s life in danger. Although officials of the school district encourage students to either walk together or to carpool, much of their safety relies on motorists in the area.

“When you’re making these changes, it’s very difficult. This was a last minute change because of a last minute action that affected funding,” said U-46 safety coordinator John Heiderscheidt.

To help keep our students safe, talk with your child about the following safety recommendations for walking to school, provided by the National Safety Council:

-Make sure you walk to school in a group.

-Make sure you always use a sidewalk if one is available.

-If there’s no sidewalk for you to use, make sure you always walk facing traffic.

-Make sure you always cross the street at either an intersection or at a street corner.

-Make sure that no child under the age of 10 walks to school without an adult.

-Look both ways to make sure no cars are coming before stepping off a curb to cross a street.

-Continue looking left and right as you cross the street.

-Always walk across the street. Running makes you more likely to trip and fall.

-Never run out from behind a parked car. Oncoming traffic may not be able to see you.

For students who choose to make the journey by bicycle, follow these safety tips:

-Make sure you always wear a helmet when riding your bike to school.

-Never ride in traffic. Again, travelers under the age of 10 should not bike without a responsible adult.

-Make sure that you ride in a single-file line with your friends and in the same direction as traffic.

-Come to a complete stop before you cross the road.

-Wait for a driver to signal to you that it’s okay to cross the street before doing so.

-Get plenty of biking practice so that you’re more confident while riding.

Budget cuts are also effecting school worker salaries, cutting office jobs, reducing health insurance benefits and cutting funding for school supplies.

The district would like to point out that if there isn’t a school within a mile and a half of your student’s home or if there is a hazard then the district will find a way to make a neighborhood stop for them.
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According to the National Safety Council, based out of Itasca, Illinois, approximately 400 people will die because of car accidents in Illinois and elsewhere this Labor Day weekend. The NSC also estimate that another 38,800 people will be injured because of these traffic accidents. Over the last six year, Labor Day weekend has seen an average increase of about 15 percent in the number of traffic accident-related deaths compared to other similar non-holiday periods.From now until the end of the Labor Day weekend, Illinois State Police will be keeping eyes on the road in search of drivers who aren’t abiding by the law. Officers will be on the lookout for drivers who are speeding, distracted or not wearing a seat belt. And, of course, drunk drivers will be a primary target through the long holiday weekend.

Our Chicago car accident attorneys ask that all motorists be extra safe and cautious during this last holiday weekend of summer. According to CBS Chicago, nearly 2 million people are expected to be on Illinois roadways throughout the weekend. Even though gas prices are up about dollar this year from last year, more than 27 million motorists across the nation are expected to hit the road for a weekend vacation.

The expected 27 million travelers illustrates an increase in the number of road travelers from those on the road in 2010. Nearly 90 percent of holiday travelers will be driving this year, partially because of the increase in airfares.

Here are some safe driving tips to help keep you safe during your Labor Day travel:

-Get some rest. Never drive when you’re tired or drowsy. Drowsy driving decreases your ability to react to traffic hazards.

-Buckle up. Make sure that everyone in your vehicle is wearing a seat belt.

-Don’t tailgate. Keep the two-second rule in mind. Keeping a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front of you will help to reduce your risks of a serious accident.

-Look around. Make sure you check your surroundings at all times, but especially before changing lanes or making a turn.

-Obey the signs. Always follow traffic signals and posted speed limits. Officers will be on the lookout for drivers who are driving by their own rules.

-Stay sober. Officers throughout the state and the country will be looking specifically for intoxicated drivers.

-Don’t drive distracted. Distractions slow a driver’s reaction time and increase their risks of a serious traffic accident. Distractions include text messaging, using a cell phone, operating a GPS system and interacting with other passengers.

-Be prepared. Know your route before you leave the house. Having a plan helps you to avoid confusion.

-Spare time. Leave for your destination with plenty of time to spare so you’re not forced to rush.

-Defensive driving. Always be ready for the unexpected maneuvers of other motorists.

We would like to wish everyone a safe and happy Labor Day weekend and ask that all drivers remain cautious and alert while navigating roadways packed with holiday travelers.
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Illinois State Police, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), Illinois State Police, the Associated General Contractors of Illinois and the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) all joined together to unveil the new National Work Zone Memorial Wall at the Illinois State Fair. This wall aims to recognize the workers that we’ve lost in work zones accidents in Illinois. The wall will also be used to raise awareness about the importance of safe driving habits for all motorists through our construction zones. The wall will act as a remembrance for the women, men and children who’ve lost their lives in accidents that occurred in construction zones throughout the country.As we recently reported on our Chicago Personal Injury Attorneys Blog, distracted driving is one of the top causes for car accident-related construction accidents. Motorists are asked to place all of their attention on the road when passing through construction zones not only to prevent a car accident, but to help save the life of a roadside construction worker. As a reminder, Illinois state law prohibits the use of hand-held cell phones in construction zones.

“The National Work Zone Safety Memorial symbolizes the collective efforts and commitment of all states for the ongoing challenge to prevent work zone crashes,” said Acting Transportation Secretary Ann Schneider.

The wall is filled with the names of those who we’ve lost in work zone accidents. The visualization of those that we’ve lost is being used to increase motorist’s awareness of the dangers of accidents in road construction zones.

ISP Operations Col. Rob Haley would like to remind everyone that one work zone death is way too many and the IDOT will be continuing their effort to bring the number of these fatalities down to zero.

The DOT notes that its current efforts are in fact helping to reduce the risks of a fatal work zone accident. According to Illinois state traffic accident data, 2009 and 2010 illustrated two years in a row in which the state witnessed less than 1,000 traffic fatalities. These two years have been recorded as a record low dating back to 1921.

IDOT says that this accomplishment is a large part a result of its latest media campaigns, a number of infrastructure improvements, signing enhancements, safety engineering and automated work zone speed limit enforcement, just to name a few.

The IDOT campaign “See Orange. Slow Down. Save Lives ” is one of the media campaigns that have launched to help raise awareness of safe driving habits in these construction areas. This campaign includes visual and audio PSAs used to send the transportation department’s safe-driving message to motorists across the state.

Here are some safe driving tips to help you get through a construction zone without any problems:

-Slow down when you’re approaching a construction zone.

-Follow all posted speed limits.

-Don’t follow the vehicle in front of you too closely.

-Don’t pass another vehicle by using the shoulder of the road.

-Leave yourself an out to escape a dangerous situation. Never block yourself in.

-Keep it calm. Understand that traffic will travel a little slower through these areas. Consider this before heading out to your destination.

-Put away all distractions, including cell phones, text messaging devices, loud music, etc.

-Keep your eyes on the road and expect the unexpected.
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During the next decade, our cars are expected to make quite the transition. Manufacturers are planning to equip our vehicles of the future with some pretty neat safety features, according to MSN Autos. But will they really improve roadway safety or prove to be malfunctioning distractions and increase our risks of serious car accidents in Chicago and elsewhere?Our Chicago personal injury attorneys understand that these new features come with good intentions, but as we’ve seen before, technology doesn’t always offer us a safer ride. Manufacturers and government officials reiterate that safety will always be a top concern and new features are designed with that in mind. Your car may not be able to drive all by its self, but designers hope that it will help to make your driving safer.

We’re already experiencing these changes, as many cars now have collision-mitigation systems, which use radar to identify when you’re getting too close to another object of if you’re going too fast. These systems are able to take control of your car to help you avoid an accident.

Other future technologies include:

-Rear-view cameras. These cameras have already been proposed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Rear-view cameras aim to reduce back-over accidents. They are already available in some models.

-Night-vision cameras and pedestrian-detection systems. These devices would allow you to see objects outside of your vehicle. The system would stop the vehicle if you come too close to one of the detected objects. The main focus of this technology is to avoid car-pedestrian accidents. While some high-end vehicles already come equipped with the technology, manufacturers expect these systems to be standard on new-model vehicles within the next 10 years.

-New-age cruise control. This is a cruise control that senses objects your approaching and can adjust your speed to ensure that you don’t hit them. This allows you to avoid resetting you cruise-control speed.

-Vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems. This Wi-Fi technology will allow cars to talk with one another to help avoid car accidents. Your car will be able to know where surrounding cars are before you do.

-Connected vehicles. New technology will allow you to talk to your friends, surf the web, play some music and control your vehicle all with the sound of your voice. The technology will even talk back to you helping to make your trip easier and to keep your eyes on the road.

-Wi-Fi just for your car. Despite the government’s concern with distracted driving habits, car manufacturers are going ahead with this one. Car’s will soon be equipped with common apps, such as Facebook, Twitter and Pandora. These systems will also be operated through voice command.

-Less gas-guzzle. President Obama and his Administration recently made even more fuel-economy proposals that request that the industry aim at making cars with a 62 mpg rating by 2025. We can also expect more hybrid cars, more plug-ins and more battery operated vehicles.

These expected features all come with good intentions, but it’s important to remember that nothing can replace safe and cautious driving habits. Motorists are urged to remain alert at the wheel and make their best efforts to avoid a motor-vehicle accident.
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