Chicago residents may have heard that federal research studies on driver safety are the basis of new Department of Transportation recommendations for automobile manufacturers. The goal is to reduce the amount of electronics that do not directly assist driving and to minimize the amount of attention that installed electronics require for operation. Later recommendations are scheduled to address mobile communication devices. A new study followed over 200 drivers for about a month with in-car recording equipment to gather evidence. Researchers determined that any distraction from the road lasting longer than two seconds will increase the risk of a car accident. The guidelines direct manufacturers to reduce the number of unnecessary devices and place assisting devices in a manner that allows driver operation with glances of 1.5 seconds or less at a total of 12 seconds.
Car Accidents Archives
Some parents monitor teenagers behind the wheel
While car accidents are the most common cause of death for teenagers nationwide, new and increasingly commonplace technology may help parents in Illinois and elsewhere ensure that their teenagers are driving safely without the parent physically present in the vehicle. Some parents have reported installing dashboard cameras or GPS devices in their vehicles to watch their children behind the wheel, and it may be possible to obtain one or both of these devices free from some insurance companies.A dashboard camera is one way of reducing the risk that teenagers will cause a car accident. Any time the driver performs an unsafe maneuver, the camera is started. The company that provides the cameras views the footage and then forwards it to the parent. It is up to the parent to then determine how to address that information with the teen.
Chicago accident kills pedestrian
A man police believe to have been the owner of a disabled car was walking near the vehicle on North Mannheim Road near O'Hare Airport when he was struck by another car and killed. Authorities also believe that the car accident may have been caused by one driver cutting off another, causing her to swerve and hit the pedestrian. The victim was in his 40s but has not been identified. However, authorities speculate that he is the owner of a Volvo that was found sitting on the side of the road near the crash site. The 21-year-old female driver who hit the pedestrian remained on the scene to answer questions by the police. It appears that another driver may have cut her off, causing her to swerve into the path of the pedestrian victim. No charges have been filed pending a complete investigation of the crash site by the Major Accident Investigation Unit.
Google cars promising but in need of some improvements
For Illinois residents who dream of a future in which cars drive themselves, that dream may become a reality sooner than they think. Recent reports indicate that Google's self-driving cars may someday markedly reduce car accidents in population-dense and rural areas alike, but the vehicles still have a few hurdles to overcome before they are ready to go on the market. Current obstacles for the self-driving cars mainly include conditions that can drastically alter pre-mapped terrain, such as snowy weather or construction zones; extensions to preexisting maps also throw the car for a loop since it relies on computer maps to get around. Likewise, car accident scenes, with their attendant lane closures, signs and manual traffic direction, currently present a problem for the vehicles in that they cannot determine when to stop or proceed.
Two police officers injured in car crash in Illinois
A police SUV and a four-door sedan crashed against a home in Englewood, Illinois, on Feb. 28. Police had been chasing the vehicle in response to an emergency situation. The car accident resulted in two Chicago police officers suffering injuries.The police were responding to an incident regarding a shooting that occurred on 87th Street. They witnessed a person shooting toward a lounge between Loomis Boulevard and Ada Street at approximately 1:55 a.m. Two parked vehicles were hit. The shooter drove away, and the two police officers began the pursuit immediately. The police chased the vehicle and saw an individual throw a gun out the window. The weapon was later recovered.
Elgin car crash results in 1 death, 1 serious injury
One man was killed and a woman was seriously injured recently in a two-vehicle crash on Route 20 in Elgin. The car accident occurred on March 10 when a Honda Civic traveling west spun into oncoming traffic on Route 20 near Shales Parkway. The accident closed down Route 20 for several hours while authorities investigated the crash.The Civic's 24-year-old driver was killed when his vehicle collided with a Mercury Villager. The driver of the Villager, a 31-year-old woman from Elgin, was taken to an area hospital for treatment of her injuries. Authorities said that although she sustained serious injuries, she is expected to survive.
Three-vehicle crash results in DUI charge
District 14 Illinois State Police have charged a 25-year-old Monmouth man with driving under the influence of alcohol following a three-vehicle accident. The car crash occurred just north of Monmouth on U.S. Route 67. The driver was traveling southbound on the highway and attempted to turn left in front of another car at the intersection of 245th Avenue when his vehicle the other car, driven by a 68-year-old Monmouth man. The first crash caused the 25-year-old driver to hit yet a third driver, whose vehicle was stationary at the intersection. The third vehicle was occupied by a 56-year-old female driver from Alexis. Police reported serious injuries but have not released which drivers were hurt or the nature of the injuries. There was no report of the 25-year-old driver's blood alcohol level during the time of the crash.
Cook County woman pleads guilty to DUI charges
A Palatine woman will serve a five-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to a charge of aggravated driving under the influence of intoxicating compounds. She was charged with a Class 4 felony that carried a penalty of up to 12 years in prison. The woman inhaled fumes from a can of compressed air as she was driving, passed out and then collided head-on into another vehicle. The car accident caused her car to flip onto its roof and injured two passengers in her vehicle. It also injured two people in the car that was struck. An 84-year-old elderly woman in the other vehicle was critically injured and is in need of 24-hour care after spending months recuperating in the hospital; her son was treated for broken ribs. Additionally, one of the passengers in the Palatine woman's car suffered a fractured pelvis, lacerated spleen and a number of other injuries.
Woman dies in car accident
The Chicago Police's Major Accident Investigation Unit is investigating a car accident that left one elderly woman dead. The accident occurred after an SUV was traveling in the wrong lane and caused a hit-and-run collision. The accident took place in the Logan Square neighborhood during the early morning of Christmas day. The driver was in a 2000 Chevrolet Blazer and was traveling north in a southbound lane on North Pulaski Road. He crashed into the side of a vehicle driven by a 25-year-old woman. Her 67-year-old mother was in the back seat of the vehicle. A 25-year-old man was in the front passenger's seat. Although the elderly woman was taken to an Illinois hospital, she died of her injuries. It was not known immediately after the accident if her daughter had sustained any serious injuries. The man in the vehicle refused medical attention. The driver of the Blazer fled the scene.
Illinois man claims injuries after rear-end crash
A St. Clair County, Illinois, man has filed suit regarding a rear-end car accident that occurred in 2010, claiming that he suffered long-term injuries to his neck, spine, back and face; he is also asking for payment for lost wages and pain and suffering, as well as a permanent loss of earning ability.
