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Vehicle Safety

In the News – Week of September 2nd

September 6, 2019 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

New Data Provides Further Insight on Chicago’s Scooters

A new study conducted by DePaul University researchers has discovered that the electric scooters the city recently adopted as part of a four-month long trial are now being used as legitimate choices for commuting during morning and evening rush hour periods. What was once deemed a fad that many cities throughout the United States were quickly shutting down due to safety hazards and an overall lack of regulations for the public has now shown that maybe they are more useful than originally thought. The study, which was done by the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Planning, looked at 12 hours of data from a single day in the month of July. Ultimately, what this data was able to show was that in the roughly 2000 scooters trips that were taken in single day, a majority of the rides took place between 7-9am and 5-7pm.

As many in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs already know, traffic in the city can be grueling. Just like any large city, it seems that the traffic will simply never end. This new research seems to suggest that some individuals throughout the city may be turning from public transportation and vehicles altogether, and joining the scooter sharing fleet. Joseph P. Schwieterman, one of the researchers who conducted the study stated “I thought perhaps scooters were a novelty and people would use them in their leisure time, to make their social activities a little easier, but what we found is that rush hour is when most of the money is being made.” Such results from the pilot program are very important to note. While the scooters may seem like non-factor in the larger view of the city’s infrastructure as a whole, the reality is that people will go to great lengths to make their trips quicker in the morning and evening. While Chicago has clearly experienced the negatives associated with scooters, data such as this may begin changing people’s perspectives of the scooter sharing program altogether.

Of course, just because people are beginning to adopt the pilot program, does not mean it is in the best interest of city residents. As we have continuously covered, allowing scooters within city limits poses a severe risk to pedestrians and bicyclists in the city, as well as the scooter riders themselves. At this point, there have not been any developments regarding the most pressing issue – the fact that the scooter companies have failed to establish insurance coverage for riders. This effectively creates an insurance gap which could place riders in a dangerous and expensive situation if an accident were to occur. All of this is to say that while the scooters become more popular and the city becomes accustomed to seeing them, the city should also be making strides to make them much safer and establish further regulations that ensure that riders and the surrounding public are protected legally as well.  

Lightfoot to Hold Town Hall on Budget Spending; Updates Expected Regarding the City’s Infrastructure

Mayor Lightfoot has announced that she will be holding several town hall meetings for Chicagoans in September 2019 to allow for open discussion regarding the City’s budget as a broader attempt to provide transparency to the city’s residents. One of the topics that will likely be discussed is how the city plans on spending the significant increase in funding it is set to receive as part of Governor Pritzker’s $45 billion capital plan that was announced in May of 2019.

We previously wrote on the plan’s overall impact on the crumbling infrastructure throughout the state, especially the roads and freeways connecting Chicago to the surrounding suburbs. Mayor Lightfoot’s townhall should hopefully provide some further updates on announced projects, such as the Kennedy Expressway reconstruction and the I-80 Ridge Road to Lincoln Highway rebuild. While these projects will likely take a significant amount of time to be completed, its important they are followed through as it was announced earlier in May that Illinois drivers were losing roughly $18.3 billion per year due to poor infrastructure and traffic.

Further, the City of Chicago has released a 2020 Budget Survey that asks city residents which areas of the budget should receive reduced or increased spending. If you are interested in attending any of the meetings, see below for further information:

  • 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 4 at the Copernicus Center on 5216 W. Lawrence Ave.
  • 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday, September 14 at Roberto Clemente High School on 1147 N. Western Ave.
  • 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 19 at Southeast United Methodist Youth and Community Center (The Zone) at 11731 S Ave.
  • 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 25 at Lindblom Math and Science Academy, 6130 S. Wolcott Ave.

As Labor Day Nears, Some Tips for Staying Safe and Avoiding the Dreaded Traffic

September 4, 2019 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Many throughout the United States will use the upcoming Labor Day Weekend to go on their last planned road trips and family outings prior to the holiday season. As we are all very much aware, Labor Day has a long history of being designated for such activities; one last opportunity to get out and enjoy the end of summer. However, with that excitement comes the downside of having to hit the road alongside what often seems like every other family in the city. As we would all like to believe that traveling over Labor Day Weekend will be a smooth and easy process, the reality is that Chicago has nearly three million residents and it will most certainly show this weekend. Not only will the traffic be far worse for those tempted to get out of the city and explore different parts of the region, but the drivers will be that much crazier and eager to get where they are going.

Similar to other summer holidays like Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, Labor Day has proven to be one of the riskiest times for a driver to be on the road. Ultimately, according to a survey of statistics available between 2011 and 2015, Value Penguin found Labor Day to be the second most dangerous holiday for drivers, with 308 fatal accidents per year. In comparison, the most dangerous holiday was found to be Memorial Day, which resulted in 312 accidents per year. To no one’s surprise, the cities that contributed the most to these alarming numbers were the likes of Houston and Los Angeles, where driving is essentially necessary anywhere you go. For a city like Chicago, where public transit is exceptional in terms of allowing residents to navigate downtown and the surrounding suburbs, this may not seem like as much of an issue; however, with so many people leaving and entering the city limits for their dose of late summer fun, the Illinois Tollway has stated that it now expects roughly 8 million vehicles to pass through the state freeway system, with around 2 million vehicles expected to be on the road on Friday. While those numbers seem almost comical, they present a harsh reality for those living in large metropolitan areas.

Patch Illinois recently wrote a piece on this same topic regarding the best and worst times to be on the roads for the upcoming weekend. The worst time to travel for drivers will be on Friday, August 30th as most people use that day for travelling to their destinations and plan on doing so early in the morning. Unfortunately, the issue for those hoping to beat rush hour and leave early is that most people travelling are thinking of doing the exact same thing. To put it lightly, traffic will be bad, and it will cause some to drive dangerously. Fortunately, there are a variety of sources providing great tips on things drivers can do to make traveling during this time of the year much safer.

Staying Safe While Enjoying the Holiday

We all want to enjoy the extended weekend and while traffic certainly puts a damper on the experience, USA Today has provided several key tips that may help make your experience just a little better:

  • Staying Safe – USA states that “there are two major reasons for accidents on highways: losing concentration while driving and ignoring the risk of big trucks. While both factors are incredibly dangerous, the former poses even more risks to others on the roads. Many will be drinking and enjoying their extended weekend with family and friends, but it is necessary that you let others drive. Monitor yourself if you have been drinking and certainly don’t risk getting behind the wheel.
  • Getting Your Car in Shape – “A routine check of the engine, radiator and fluids will go a long way. Tires should be well inflated and wiper fluid should be replenished. Also, check that the steering wheel and brakes work properly.” Ensuring that your vehicle is running properly and is equipped with all the proper safety features and measures necessary to drive safely is essential. Not only will your drive be far more difficult if a mechanical issue occurs, but you become part of the problem when you are forced to pull over those three lanes of traffic in the middle of rush hour. Be sure to have your vehicle maintenance up to date and keep yourself going to your destination.
  • Avoiding the Madness – “The most important thing you can do is leave early. Take on the highways early Saturday morning or before rush hour on Friday. If you’re driving on Labor Day, follow the same rules. Most people will brave their return home in the early evening or late afternoon. Try getting to the highways before 4 p.m. or after 10 p.m. and you should be in much better shape.” Although we previously said that the traffic will be bad no matter what over the weekend, you really are putting yourself in a better situation as far as traffic and safety goes. City drivers are already notoriously “wild” in terms of following the laws of the road, the smaller number of drivers you can be around during one of the busiest traffic days of the year, the better.

Overall, we have a responsibility to keep ourselves and others safe, just like any other day of the year. Just know that there will be dangers out there and drivers will be incredibly eager to get to where they are going. Following these tips is just a start for making your Labor Day weekend that much better. Stay safe out there and enjoy the holiday!

Chicago Experiences a Significant Increase in Pedestrian Deaths Since July 1st

August 9, 2019 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

With this summer’s introduction of e-scooters to the streets of Chicago, much of our coverage and interest has revolved around how the City plans to not only curb traffic incidents arising from scooter users’ inability to follow the makeshift laws that have been established throughout the Summer, but the overall affects such riders have on pedestrians, bicyclists, and cars that are navigating the streets alongside them. Thrown to the wayside among this news cycle has been the fact that Chicago has actually experienced a large increase in the number of pedestrian deaths since the beginning of July. As previously reported by Streets Blog Chicago, the Chicago Department of Transportation had acknowledged that pedestrian deaths as of June 2019 had actually seen a 40% decrease year over year. Unfortunately, July proved to be much more dangerous for pedestrians in the city.

According to Block Club Chicago, “between Jan. 1 and July 31, 23 pedestrians were killed in the city. Six of those deaths occurred in July, the deadliest month for Chicago pedestrians since April 2018, when eight pedestrians were killed.” Making these numbers even more problematic is the fact that many safety experts throughout the community believe the issue to be a growing number of vehicles on the road. Unfortunately, the Department of Transportation has also found that one-third of the 23 pedestrian deaths in 2019 occurred in a marked crosswalk. As we have seen time and again, distracted driving remains a likely factor in these types of deaths. And why is that? For starters, our lives revolve around technology that we believe to be easily accessible at any moment. As we are walking down the street, we can video call our friends and family members and simultaneously multitask with the abundant number of apps we have on our phones. It is pretty easy to understand how we become so desensitized to taking our eyes off the road and letting our surroundings take a backseat to what we are really focused on. But that’s not an excuse and it should remain that way as the technology we use in our everyday lives becomes more advanced.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has an entire section on their website pertaining to this topic and we certainly recommend that all drivers become familiar with it. For instance, they state that “sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed.” In addition, distracted driving, such as texting, has truly proved to be incredibly dangerous with 3,166 people being killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2017. All this goes to say that it just really is not worth it, and the ramifications of such driving pose far greater risks than missing a text or call from someone.

Drivers Are Not the Only Issue

While it may be easy to point fingers at the driver in situations such as these, the reality is that pedestrians may be just as negligent as the drivers themselves. As one-third of the 23 pedestrian deaths in Chicago have taken place in marked crosswalks, it is very likely that several of those instances included a pedestrian who was walking across a crosswalk while looking down at their phone or with it up to their ear. The issue with our lives revolving around these devices is not that they take our attention away from just the road, but our surroundings entirely. As we have previously written, many states have started invoking laws that ban cell phone use in crosswalks. The danger such actions pose is far too high and unnecessary just as they are for drivers. With that being said, the issue may be two-fold; however, we all know that individuals in marked crosswalks have the right of way and we should not be experiencing this issue in 2019. As a society, we have had years to adjust and understand the ramifications of these devices. It’s upon us now to make certain that drivers understand their actions and pedestrians do all they can to be safe. As Chicago has clearly had a far better year than previously regarding deaths, all it takes is a bad day and series of unfortunate circumstances for these accidents to take place. Unfortunately, whenever we see such accidents occurring where they shouldn’t, it makes the alarm bells sound and we must acknowledge that something is wrong. As Chicago becomes more populated and the number of drivers on the road increases, it will become more dangerous, but it really does not have to be that way. Distracted driving does not have to be a thing because we control these devices. We should be doing everything we can to curb it.

Is The Truck Driver Shortage Making Our Roads Less Safe?

July 26, 2019 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

There aren’t enough truck drivers to fill the needs of the market. Back in 2015, the American Trucking Association, an industry advocacy group, published a report detailing the trucking and transport industry’s struggle to find enough drivers. The report found that the shortage reached 38,000 in 2014 and was expected to reach 48,000 by the end of 2015. By the end of 2018 the number jumped to 60,800, and it’s estimated to more than double over the next decade.

Why are there so few drivers?

There is more than one reason. There is an aging workforce. The industry is not attracting many women to enter the profession. Notably, there is a lack of qualified candidates for trucking companies to choose from.

Quality over quantity is the better way to go.

Professional truck drivers are held to a higher standard than other commuters. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) is a set of rules that apply to nearly everyone who operates a commercial motor vehicle. The FMCSR covers topics including driver qualifications, safety requirements, how many hours a driver can remain on duty, and the penalties for violating rules.

If a police officer pulls over a family car, there is no driver log inspection. A group of friends taking a cross country road trip will not be decommissioned for failing to show how many hours the current driver has been behind the wheel. Obtaining a commercial driver’s license (CDL) requires much more training than a regular driver’s license does. At a minimum, getting a CDL, requires getting a permit to train with a CDL holder and passing a skills test.

Behind all the news about a driver shortage, is a recent shift in how the United States tackles the issue itself. There has recently been a new focus on deregulating the trucking industry as the United States continues to find ways to make truck driving more alluring to newcomers. As we recently wrote, the FMCSA will likely be having its longstanding drive time rules deregulated as a way to not only place more money in the pockets of truck drivers, but to help drivers get to their destination much quicker. Unfortunately, it has been shown that acts such as this one actually do more harm than good. While it is great that drivers will be able to ship products at a quicker pace, it has actually been shown that leniency with these drive-time rules has a negative impact on overall crash-rates across the US.

While safety remains a serious concern, there are issues that must be addressed.

Trucking industry publication, Heavy Duty Trucking, recently wrote an article regarding the driver shortage. Within the piece, they were able to interview Bob Costello, the Chief Economist from the American Trucking Associations (ATA). In response to a recent report that Costello released regarding the driver shortage, he stated that “the shortage probably seems much worse to carriers because we’re only talking about the quantity of drivers and they [fleets] also have to be concerned with the quality of the drivers they hire.” And that alone is the crux of the issue at hand. At what point does the safety of drivers and those on the road take a back seat to ensure the industry does not falter as a whole?

There are options to delay the effects of the shortage.

While the government is now working to change the regulations revolving around drive-time for commercial drivers, this solution really doesn’t act as a solution at all. It places drivers at risk of increased fatigue instead. With that being said, Heavy Duty Trucking acknowledged that Costello did provide a list of solutions in his recent report that trucking companies may adopt as a way to counteract the estimated reduction of drivers in the industry:

  • Driver pay increases
  • More at-home time
  • Improved driver image
  • Better treatment and reduced wait times (at shippers)
  • Transitioning military personnel to truck driving
  • Lowering the age for interstate operation

Just like everything in life, there is no silver bullet solution to issues that affect everyone. While many may believe that such actions as deregulating current rules will help the industry be more appealing or increase driver pay, there are clearly pros and cons to that approach. It is up to companies to speak up and acknowledge that driver safety must be at the forefront of each of these decisions. If companies can begin understanding and trying to implement these potential solutions, it just may counteract the inevitable shortage in the industry and keep drivers far safer on the roads in the meantime.

Who Pays My Medical Bills After a Car Accident?

July 25, 2019 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

The short answer is the person who is responsible for a crash generally pays for medical bills related to the incident. However, the at-fault driver will pay for the medical bills usually as part of a lump-sum payment that is included in the entire settlement or verdict amount. In other words, a victim of a car crash is responsible for making sure his or her bills are paid or that the doctors, hospitals, or clinics providing treatment for their injuries resulting from the crash are willing to wait until their legal case is resolved to get paid. 

What If I Don’t Have Health Insurance?

Most auto insurance policies include medical payment coverage for medical bills incurred as a result of a car crash, but the limits are usually low, and it may only cover a relatively small amount of bills. Once that coverage is exhausted, you can request that a doctor or treatment facility place a lien on an outstanding bill. This means that the doctor or medical office agrees to wait to get paid until the legal matter is concluded and funds are recovered from the negligent driver. However, medical offices typically do not agree to provide treatment on a lien basis unless their patient is represented by an attorney. 

What If The Other Side Blames Me For The Crash?

Damages in injury cases in Illinois are apportioned based on fault, unless the person filing the claim is more than 50% at fault. Put another way, if a negligent driver is 100% at fault for a crash, that person should pay 100% of the damages related to the case. If the person bringing a lawsuit is determined to be partially at fault for his or her injuries, that person will be responsible for the amount of damages proportionate to his or her percentage of fault. So, if the Plaintiff is determined to be 10% at fault, that percentage remains his or her responsibility. However, if it is determined that the Plaintiff is more than 50% at fault for his or her own injuries, that person will recover nothing. 

Why Do I Have to Pay At All If It Wasn’t My Fault?

It seems unfair. When a negligent driver causes injuries and property damage, the victims of the crash now have to try and put their lives back together. Everyone has their routines and responsibilities – the things they have to take care of day to day. Avoidable car crashes disrupt all of that. They make you late to wherever you were headed. They injure you, sometimes irreparably. They can cause stress. Yet, very often, the financial burden of immediate aftermath of a crash falls on the victim.

You have to get your car fixed. You have to go to the doctor. You lose time and pay at work. Often, it isn’t until the legal process is completed that these damages are addressed. Also, if a negligent driver who causes a crash has insufficient, or no insurance, you have to rely on your own auto policy to cover the cost of your vehicle and your medical expenses, pain and suffering, loss of normal life, lost wages, etc.

One thing people can do to mitigate this problem is to purchase the most auto insurance coverage their budget will allow. The more coverage you have, the less risk you take when sharing the road with underinsured drivers. Illinois law requires auto policies issued in the state to include insurance that covers the policy holder and others covered by the policy if they are hurt by a driver who has no insurance or doesn’t have enough insurance.  Negligent drivers should be held responsible when they cause damage, but if they don’t have enough insurance or money to pay for the damages they cause, it’s better to cover yourself to the full extent that you can.

Medical Bills Can Often Be Negotiated

If you’re hurt in a crash, medical bills can pile up in a hurry. If you have medical insurance that covers the bills initially, or you find a doctor that will treat you on a lien basis, there may be an opportunity to save on medical expenses once your case is settled by negotiating with the medical bill lien holders. There are statutes in Illinois that govern how medical bill and insurance liens are calculated in Illinois. Having the help of an experienced injury attorney to help you navigate these rules can make the process of resolving these issues much easier and more efficient than trying to figure it all out on your own.

Avoiding crashes altogether is, of course, the preferred outcome in any situation. Each person who ventures to travel anywhere, whether for work, fun, or chores, should strive to act as safely as possible. Still, we all know that we live in an imperfect world where not everyone does the right thing all the time, or even what they are supposed to do. Knowing what to expect and who to turn to if things go wrong, is a much better way to approach the hazards we all face when we venture out on to the road.

Why Do So Many People Turn Left On Red?

July 23, 2019 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Left hand turns are among the most dangerous maneuvers a driver has to make. Turning left is also inefficient. UPS, the private shipping company, implemented a vehicle routing plan that almost entirely eliminates left turns for its delivery drivers. The company states on its website that cutting out left turns, “will result in a 100,000 metric ton reduction in CO2 emissions, equivalent to taking 21,000 passenger cars off the road.”

UPS says that this strategy saves them millions of dollars in fuel costs every year, too. There is also research that shows avoiding left turns can help regular motorists save on gas. The theory is that left turns cause more idling because drivers often have to wait at intersections before they can turn left safely or for traffic signals to allow them to go.

I know from personal experience that waiting in traffic is frustrating. I know this because I live near Chicago. One of the features of the city’s Northwest Suburbs is multi-lane streets where left turns are only allowed from designated turning lanes and on green arrows. “NO TURN ON RED,” is a sign that I see all over suburban intersections. When traffic is heavy, I end up having to wait two, sometimes even three traffic-light cycles before I am in a position to complete a legal left turn.

That long wait sometimes causes drivers to ignore the red arrow and try to squeeze in a left turn before the drivers that were waiting to go straight from the opposite side in the oncoming lanes start to move forward on their green light. This usually causes a backup because the cars that are trying to go straight are forced to wait while cars have cross in front of them on a red arrow.

This type of turn doesn’t only cause delays. It’s also very dangerous. For example, I was recently stopped at a red light on Higgins Road at an intersection in Schaumburg, IL. Cars from the opposite direction were turning left on a green arrow. Inevitably, maybe because traffic was on the heavier side, some impatient drivers decided they could make their left turn even after their green arrow turned red. As the cars in my lane started moving forward, everyone was forced to stop or slow down to avoid hitting a car that was trying to complete a left turn in front of them. The cars going straight were stopped so as not to hit the driver turning left and the car turning left was moving slowly because some cars, especially in the far-right lanes who may have not seen the person turning left against the light, were passing through the intersection.

What surprised me about this interaction was that the driver of the car turning left was expressing anger-filled gestures at the cars moving forward as she slowly passed in front of them. These were the cars that had a green light.  The cars that were going straight on green did have a duty to avoid crashing into the person violating the law and turning left on red if they could, but this person was clearly in the wrong and did not have the right-of-way. This is my personal opinion, but I didn’t see the utility in an avoidable situation for getting angry at people who were following the rules.

There are two easy ways to avoid these kinds of scenarios:

  1. Don’t turn on red – It’s better to have to wait longer at a light than to risk hurting yourself, someone else, and as a result, damaging property.
  2. Avoid left turns – Apart from making your commute safer, you might also save money on gas and help the environment by idling less and reducing your car’s emissions.

I do want to add, that some newer cars cut the engine when stopped instead of idling. That technological development may have eliminated the efficiency problem of left turns for some vehicles. However, until we are all traveling in self driving cars, assuming that robots can eliminate all crashes or that they don’t turn against us (I may have watched too many movies), it is still safer to get where you’re going with all right turns where it’s reasonable to do so.

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