Articles Posted in Auto Accidents

Earlier this year, an investigation by the Tribune, which examined demographical factors in sobriety checkpoint, first revealed the harsh reality of what many say is a blatant example of racial profiling. Specifically, that Chicago officials are unfairly targeting Black and Latino communities by employing a racially-based approach in selecting DUI checkpoints locations, as opposed to an objective approach that selects checkpoint locations based upon alcohol-related crash data.

Despite identification of the issue several months ago, ongoing investigation shows that DUI checkpoints still target minority neighborhoods.

As injury attorneys, our concern is accident prevention—-and if sobriety checkpoints can prevent accidents by catching drunk drivers, then shouldn’t their location be determined according to where alcohol-related crashes occur most frequently?

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Drunk driving has been an issue since the invention of the first automobile. Despite efforts of lawmakers, advocacy groups, and local authorities to address this issue, motorists continue to drive while intoxicated. Encouraging new technology, though, seems to offer a sound solution to this age-old problem—breath and touch sensors that can measure alcohol levels, and disable a vehicle when the driver is above the legal limit. In fact, these breakthroughs appear to be so promising that many have compared them to the advents of seatbelts and airbags, in regard to both life-saving potentials as well as affordability.

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Gone are the days of simple dashboards. What once was quite basic—climate controls, audio features, and a small handful of other options—has progressed into oversized sophisticated dashboards equipped with a multitude of features, including smart technology that allows the vehicle to interact not only with occupants but other devices as well. Although designed to improve safety, many question whether incorporating what is essentially a mini-computer mounted to the vehicle’s dash has actually done just the opposite—increase accident risk factors, rather than reduce them. As personal injury lawyers, we can’t help but ignore the dangers associated with the increase of vehicles equipped with these so-called ‘smart dashboards.’

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Decades of research and data have consistently identified the direct correlation between teen drivers and accident causation. In fact, the CDC reports an average of 7 fatalities per day amongst teens between the ages of 16 and 19, making motor vehicle crashes the leading cause of death for this age group. Ensuring that your teen has the skills and training to handle the responsibility of driving is certainly one of the most critical factors to preventing accidents. However, parents are also encouraged to take into consideration the type of vehicle that their teen will be driving. The Chicago Auto Accident Attorneys, of Zneimer & Zneimer P.C., discuss some important tips to guide parents in the process of buying a car for their teen driver.

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The Chicago Car Accident Attorneys of Zneimer & Zneimer P.C. take note of a recent auto wreck that took the life of two Aurora teens earlier this month. Though utterly tragic, the circumstances surrounding this incident can hopefully alert parents to the dangers that accompany newly licensed, teen and/or inexperienced drivers.

The facts of this devastating accident, as reported by the Tribune, are as follows: A 17-year-old driver of an SUV, along with his 5 passengers, traveling from Aurora to Rochelle during foggy conditions, ran a red-light and collided with a semi-truck that was attempting to turn left on Illinois Highway 38. Tragically, two of the passengers, both 16-years of age, died as a result of the crash.

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Multi-tasking is nothing new, and nowadays, the busier our lives become, the more we try to squeeze into a day. Unfortunately, many view driving as a time where they can get from point A to point B, while also performing a task and/or checking an item off their ‘to-do’ list. Few would dispute that driving while distracted, and they accidents caused by such behavior, is certainly on the rise.

Cosmetic application; personal hygiene; searching for lost items; fidgeting with control devices in your car; eating, and sometimes while attempting to use condiments or cleaning a food-related spill or mess—we’ve all seen it or may even be guilty of it ourselves. Distracted driving has been around as long as automobiles have. Add in technology, though, now we have an equation for disaster. How many times have you seen a motorist engaging in a distracting activity WHILE ALSO utilizing a mobile device? Undoubtedly, most have witnessed such behaviors in the past, if not on a regular basis.

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