Levinson and Stefani

The City of Chicago has initiated a new Automated Speed Enforcement System throughout areas designated as safety zones. These zones include areas around public and private schools and areas surrounding parks. Vehicle speeds are now being photo-enforced on these roadways and owners of vehicles will be subject to the following penalties: $35 if the recorded speed is 6 or more miles over the applicable speed limit, but less than 11 miles over such speed limit; or $100 if the recorded speed is 11 or more miles per hour over the applicable speed limit.

The Automated Speed Enforcement System uses photographic, radar, laser and other electrical or mechanical devices to record the speed of a vehicle and captures photographs or records images of a vehicle and the vehicle’s registration plate that violates this new law. Violations recorded in the first 30 days of a camera’s installation will receive a warning notice. In addition to the warning notice provided, each license plate will receive one warning notice per license plate.

Chicago experiences approximately 3,000 crashes annually between motor vehicles and pedestrians, about 800 of which involve children.

In recent months, the city of Chicago has been introduced to the latest trend in mode of transportation: the electric scooter. As ride-hailing technology such as Uber and Lyft have become a staple for city-wide transportation, companies have been looking for the next biggest movement in transportation options.

After the success of Divvy bikes, a Chicago-owned program that has docking stations throughout the city, the next step in micro-mobility has brought us rented electric scooter programs designed solely for adults 18+. Users download an app that alerts them to the nearest scooters. A user may then ride these scooters for an initial fee of $1 and then 15 cents for each additional minute the scooter is used. Unlike Divvy bikes, which require the rider to find the nearest dock, these rental electric-scooters can be left anywhere that is convenient for the user, as the scooters will self-lock through the app at the end of the trip. With varying degrees of success in other cities, dockless scooter-sharing companies such as Lime and Bird have set their sights on Chicago. The initial test runs have been at several Chicago festivals this summer.

Although some are excited at the idea of a new affordable and environmentally-friendly mode of transportation that helps residents avoid the Chicago traffic, issues with roll-outs in other cities have kept officials wary and unwilling to move ahead with a wider test run without regulations set in place. This caution stems from other cities having to deal with backlash over the unregulated introduction of these rented electric scooters.

Many of the cities with electric-scooter programs have faced an influx of emergency room visits from residents who have been injured in electric-scooter accidents. The lack of rules makes it difficult for city officials and residents alike to navigate this unknown territory. In California, where the shared electric-scooters were first made popular, city officials have scrambled to catch up to the new fad, trying their best to implement rules such as the number of scooters allowed, where residents may use these scooters, and a requirement that all riders wear helmets. Critics point out that although the scooters look more like toys than a legitimate mode of transportation, they inflict the same amount of harm as any other motorized vehicle. These scooters are actually more dangerous because there are no safety regulations to comply with.

As Chicago city officials continue to work out regulations for scooter-sharing companies, it will be important for interested users to fully understand the risks at hand and necessary precautions they will have to take when choosing to use electric scooters.

Electronic driver assist systems have steadily become a common feature found in many vehicles. A goal of semi-automated control is to try and protect drivers from dangerous circumstances that occur while on the road.

Although semi-automated is meant to increase the safety of drivers, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently released a paper titled “Reality Check,” warning drivers that “cars and trucks with electronic driver assist systems may not see stopped vehicles and could even steer you into a crash if you’re not paying attention.” The warning was issued in August 2018 after five systems from Tesla, Mercedes, BMW, and Volvo were tested on a track and public roads. When testing the system with the adaptive cruise control turned off but automatic braking on, the institute discovered that the system in two Tesla vehicles, the Model S and Model 3, were among the most dangerous, being the only two models that failed to stop in time when tested on a track. In contrast, while on the road, the institute found that every vehicle except for Tesla’s Model 3 failed to respond in time to stopped vehicles in front of them.

The institute’s chief research officer, David Zuby, stated that while the systems do increase safety, the tests show that they are not 100 percent reliable and drivers must always pay attention to the road, even if they have electronic driver assist systems to aid them. Zuby went on to say that although the scenarios showing ways in which the systems are flawed are often covered in the vehicles’ owner manuals, most drivers do not read the owner’s manual in detail and are therefore unfamiliar with the necessary precautions they should take.

Despite systems having names such as Tesla’s “Autopilot” or Volvo’s “Pilot Assist,” drivers must remember that the vehicles are not actually self-driving. The systems are there to help aid drivers with steering or speed control.

When on the road, you should always stay focused and be aware of your surroundings. As the article made clear, there are still limits to the technology of these electronic driver assist systems and with some drivers’ tendency to misuse them, you can never be too cautious when it comes to your safety and the safety of others.