943 Illinois Car Crash Deaths in 2009
The Illinois State Police and Governor Pat Quinn are reporting that there were 943 car accidents deaths in the state last year—a definite decline from the 1,043 Illinois auto crash fatalities in 2008 and the first time since 1921 that there were under 1,000 motor vehicle fatalities.
Quinn credits the Illinois State Police, local police, and the Illinois Department of Transportation for the drop in traffic deaths. He says they have aggressively targeted violations involving speeding, improper lane use, safety belts, drunk driving, drugged driving, and following too closely in order to save more lives. He noted that programs focusing on impaired driving, teen driving, and safety belts also contributed to the decrease in motor vehicle fatalities. Hopefully the decline in Illinois traffic deaths will continue in 2010.
Two new traffic laws that could help the auto injury and death rates continue to go down are the law that bans text messaging, emailing, and going online while driving (an ordinance banning cell phone driving was passed in Chicago in October 2008) and the one that prohibits drivers 18 and under (with a graduated license or an instruction permit) from using a cell phone when operating a motor vehicle. All motorists are now prohibited from talking on a cellular device in construction and school zones.
However, in order for the laws to have an effect, motorists will have to abide by them. In addition to state efforts to reduce distracted driving crashes, the federal government is stepping up efforts to increase awareness about the dangers of texting and talking on a cell phone when operating any kind of motor vehicle. Last week, the National Safety Council and the US Department of Transportation announced that they were launching FocusDriven, a national nonprofit group focused on making more people aware of the dangers of distracted driving. The US DOT has also launched Distraction.gov, a government Web site also focused on providing information about the need for motorists to stop engaging in distracted driving.
Negligent driving that causes catastrophic Illinois auto collision can be grounds for a Chicago car accident lawsuit.
Traffic Fatalities Drop Below 1,000 for First Time Since 1921, Illinois State Police, January 4, 2010
Illinois sees drop in traffic fatalities, Goedwardsville.com, January 11, 2010
Related Web Resources:
Distraction.gov
In Cook County, Will County, Lake County, and DuPage County, contact our Chicago, Illinois car accident attorneys today.
