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Illinois Teen Driver Fatalities Down Seventh Consecutive Year
As children grow up and turn into teenagers, they slowly begin to live more like adults to help prepare them for the real world. It is an important and vital process, but there are also situations that can be extremely dangerous. One of the most dangerous — and often deadly for teens — is driving.
It takes experience to learn how to effectively handle dangerous driving situations, such as a car suddenly stopping in front of you, a blown tire, or poor weather conditions. The only way to gain experience, of course, is by doing. But even a well-equipped driver can become the victim of a fatal automobile accident, so what does that say for teens?
Thankfully, changes and education are making all the difference in Illinois. In fact, for the seventh consecutive year in a row, teen driver fatalities are down. Of course, even one death is too many, which is exactly why it is so important that parents continue to discuss and enforce safe driving with their teens. The following tips should provide parents with a springboard.
DUI Accidents: Drunk Driving Rates Decrease as Drugged Driving Rates Increase
Drunk driving
is not a new problem, nor are governmental programs
initiated as a means to combat it. The National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) first Roadside
Survey of Alcohol and Drug Use by drivers was first
conducted in 1973, and since then the rate of drunk
driving has continually declined. That is not to say that
the problem is solved — about one in three traffic deaths
in the United States involve an intoxicated driver with a
blood alcohol content above the legal level and in 2012 it
was estimated that drunk drivers got behind the wheel
roughly 112 million times in 2010 alone.
Illinois — likely in part to the severe crackdowns around major metropolitan areas, especially Chicago — had a slightly lower rate of drunk driving fatalities than was the national average in 2012. Residents of the state may also be more willing to admit when they got behind the wheel when they should not have. Less than 2 percent of the national population admits to driving after drinking too much, while 2.2 percent of Illinois residents purport to having done so in the past 30 days.
Special Issues When Dealing With Public Transportation Accidents
When you are injured in a
bus or train accident, the road to getting fair compensation for your injuries
can be longer and harder than you imagine. There are
several factors that can make processing injury claims for
the passengers on buses and trains difficult. If you don’t
have the help of an experienced and knowledgeable lawyer,
you may miss your chance to make a claim for your damages.
Several Victims and Possible Coverage Issues
One challenge to cases involving public transportation crashes is the number of accident victims. Unlike a typical car crash, there can be hundreds of victims when a bus or train are involved. If the bus or train operator is at fault, the transportation agency or private company may be overwhelmed with claims, slowing the compensation process.
Who Pays for Damages in an Uninsured or Underinsured Driver Accident?
Every driver in Illinois is required to have car
insurance before they take their car out on the road.
However, not every driver follows the rules. What happens
when a driver who doesn’t have insurance, or who doesn’t
have enough insurance, causes an accident? You need to
understand how your
uninsured or underinsured motorist
coverage works.
The Realities of Liability and Insurance
In Illinois, drivers are not only required to carry insurance, but specifically uninsured motorist coverage for bodily injury and underinsured motorist coverage for bodily injury. This means that even if a driver who does not have insurance hits you, you may be able to make a claim with your own insurance company.
Car Crash Injury Symptoms
Being involved in a
motor vehicle crash, even an apparent minor one, can be very unsettling.
Often, a car crash will leave a person emotionally
traumatized and this emotional trauma can mask any
physical injuries the accident may have caused. A victim
may not realize physical injury symptoms for hours – or
even days – after the crash occurred.
Symptoms may indicate a serious injury has happened and the victim should seek medical help right away. For a person who has been in a vehicle crash, the following symptoms may be indicators that the crash resulted in a serious injury:
Pain or Swelling in the Abdominal Area
If a victim feels any pain or has swelling in the stomach area, they may be suffering from internal bleeding. Another indicator of internal bleeding is any area that has any dark purple bruising, as well as any feelings of dizziness or fainting.
Thanksgiving Weekend Travel Tips to Stay Safe
Thanksgiving Day weekend has traditionally been one of
the busiest travel times of the year. Millions of
Americans all across the country hop into planes, trains,
and automobiles to spend time with family and friends. AAA
has put estimates at the number of people who will be
traveling next week at approximately 47 million. And
almost 90 percent of those travelers will be using motor
vehicles as their mode of transportation. Unfortunately,
along with the increased number of travelers comes an
increased number of
auto accidents.
According to national statistics, Thanksgiving Day 2012 was the deadliest holiday that year. There were 416 people killed in car crashes, nationwide. Of those killed, more than half were not wearing seat belts when the crash occurred. And more than 40 percent of those fatal crashes were alcohol-related. In addition to the number of people killed, another 45,000 were injured in crashes that day.
Avoiding Car Crashes during Holiday Shopping Season
Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, and has
traditionally been designated as the “official” kickoff
for holiday shopping. So for the next four weeks,
motorists can count on increased traffic, especially
during the evening hours and weekends, as people take to
the roads and head for the malls. However, with the
increased amount of people on the roads, how does one stay
safe from
car crashes? Planning your shopping expedition can help decrease the
risk of finding yourself handing over your insurance card
to another driver instead of your credit card to a sales
clerk.
The first thing you should do is make a list of what gifts you are planning to buy. Then look at the stores where you will be looking/purchasing these gifts. Try to plan your shopping trips by targeting stores that are close to each other, decreasing the number of trips you will have to make. Planning when to go shopping also helps. If you have a flexible schedule, the least crowded times are during the week in the morning hours.
Motorcycle Crashes and Drunk Driving
Drunk or impaired driving is unsafe for everyone
involved, and not just the passengers and driver in the
car with the impaired driver. Drunk drivers are a danger
to everyone on the road, and even more-so if that driver
is on a
motorcycle. Motorcyclists are among the categories of people most
at-risk for drunk driving and drunk driving fatalities.
That motorcyclists are very likely to be injured in a
drunk driving crash is no surprise — the nature of the
motorcycle does not allow the same protections as a motor
vehicle or truck. But there are also statistics that point
to the fact that motorcyclists are perhaps more likely
than other drivers to get behind the wheel drunk.
Among motorcyclists killed in fatal crashes in 2013, a full 27 percent of them had a blood alcohol content (BAC) that was above the legal limit. This percentage increased according to the age of motorcyclist killed: nearly half of all fatally-injured alcohol-impaired motorcyclists were over the age of 40 at the time of the accident, and this group also had the highest percentage of deaths with BACs of more than 0.08 percent.
Illinois Driver Safety: Winter Weather Safety Tips
According to the Federal Highway Commission, more than
117,000 Americans are injured or killed each year on icy,
snowy, or slushy roads. Dangerous for even the most
competent of drivers, it is essential that Illinois
motorists effectively prepare for such conditions to
prevent
automobile accidents. The following winter weather safety tips can make the
roads a little safer for everyone this season.
Keep a Winter Travel Safety Kit in Your Car
Poor road conditions or vehicle malfunctions can leave you stranded on the side of the road with very little chance of finding anyone that can help. Be prepared with a winter travel safety kit. The following are recommended items you should include:
- Food and water;
- An ice scraper;
TBI: When the Bump on the Head from Your Car Accident Is More than Just a Bump on the Head
There was a time not that long ago when doctors treated
a
concussion
as little more than an annoyance that usually went away,
but medical research has shown that concussions often
cause serious consequences, sometimes life long
consequences in patients.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
For many, the term traumatic brain injury does not seem to match up with what they experience after hitting their head in a car accident. They often believe they just bumped their head. Sometimes, besides some pain right after the accident or some nausea, they do not experience any other symptoms.
Scientists now know that when you hit your head with the force of a car accident, you are not just injuring your skull, you are damaging your brain.
Contact a Lake County Vehicle Accident Attorney Who is Ready to Help You
If you or a member of your family has been injured in a motor vehicle accident, contact our office. Call 847-662-3303 to set up a free initial consultation at one of our four convenient locations. There is no risk because we only collect fees if you collect compensation. With offices in Libertyville, Waukegan, Richmond, and Chicago, we represent clients in Lake County, Cook County, DuPage County, and McHenry County.
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