car accidents | Lane Brown, LLC

April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. As the name suggests, the purpose of this safety campaign is to raise public awareness about the dangers of distracted driving. As a result, the National Safety Council is specifically urging the public to become aware of the hazards associated with using a cell phone while driving. However, cell phone use is not the only type of distracted-driving behavior that causes serious accidents on I-294 and throughout the Chicago area.

Other Forms of Distracted Driving

Distracted driving is anything that takes your eyes of the road, your hands off the steering wheel, or your focus from the task at hand—driving safely. In addition to texting while driving or using a cell phone while driving, the following activities may be distracting to Chicago drivers:

Eating or drinking while driving
Programming or using a GPS while driving
Talking or arguing with passengers
Reading while driving
Changing the music while driving

All of these distractions are preventable—drivers simply do not have to do them while driving. They are not worth the risk of causing a serious accident that hurts themselves, a loved one, another motorist, a pedestrian, or a biker.

Get Involved

Now is a great time to take action against distracted driving. Learn what it is and pledge to stop doing it. You can also help by sharing this information with your family and friends on Facebook, Twitter, or Google Plus. Doing so may help to prevent a serious distracted-driving accident.

You’ve probably experienced been stuck in traffic before and experienced one of “those” drivers. You know the ones; the ones driving so s-l-o-w that you can’t help but tail them. The natural tendency may be to honk your horn at them, follow them extra close to hopefully get their attention, or even to speed around them and give them the glare as you pass by. Maybe you’re one of those drivers yourself. You’re never in a hurry, and enjoy seeing the sights around you—no matter where you are. Every road you’re on is the “scenic route” and you love to “see what you’ll see.”

In either case, slow drivers can be more than just an inconvenience for others on the road. They can be a danger, too. In many cases, the biggest offenders are people who don’t even realize how slow they’re actually driving. Here are four of the primary groups of “slow-driving” offenders. Do you fit into one of these categories?

Seniors – The elderly population is often stereotyped within this category of drivers—sometimes unfairly. However, the natural aging process may cause more mature motorists to drive more cautiously on the road. Physical ailments, vision or hearing problems, or even reduced reaction times could be a contributing factor to this problem.
Tourists – Often times, tourists or other area visitors are unfamiliar with an area. Slowing down to search for specific roads or locations can cause traffic back-ups or rear-end collisions unintentionally. Many times, drivers are just unfamiliar with the traffic laws, habits, and patterns of local drivers.
Young or newly licensed drivers – This group is often overly cautious when first starting out driving. If you fall under this category, aggressive driving may be scary or unnerving. Turning across busy intersections could be tricky and becoming acquainted with the rules of driving can also become a primary focus behind the wheel. Placing a “student driver” sign in your window can alert other drivers to have patience as you’re learning to be a safe motorist on the road.
Distracted Drivers – Talking or texting on the phone, staring at accidents outside, talking with other passengers, and eating are just a few distractions that can pull your attention away from the road—and your speed. Paying attention to the road, and your driving habits, can help keep traffic moving smoothly, and keep you, and other drivers, safe on the road.

Before you head out for a drive, please remember that safe driving is a multi-faceted idea. Extremely slow driving can be dangerous, just like speeding. Following the recommended speed postings is one simple way to avoid a car accident on Chicago’s busy streets.

Know someone who drives a little too slowly? Share this, and other information about the dangers of slow driving—it could be a lifesaver one day.

Emotional distress is a common response to any traumatic event one may experience. For some, this distress is temporary, and may only last for a short period of time. But for others, this type of trauma may have an especially painful effect on life after a car crash.

Maybe you know someone who’s afraid to drive through downtown Chicago after getting hit at an intersection. Did you experience serious injuries that left permanent scarring or injuries after the crash? Maybe you’ve been diagnosed with clinical depression after undergoing extreme financial hardship after getting hit by an underinsured driver. There are many different ways that psychological trauma can affect your life after an injury accident. But, in any case, your life can be changed forever because of it.

Strengthen Your Emotional Health After a Crash

Don’t Isolate Yourself. Those who are depressed often retreat to isolation. Asking for support, joining a support group, or finding ways to volunteer can help you maintain focus and purpose during an emotionally difficult time.
Stay Grounded. Try to stick to your normal, daily routine as much as possible. Finding activities that you enjoy, and keep you motivated, may help you focus your attention on positive, daily things.
Your physical health matters. Neglecting physical health is a common result of emotional trauma. But, it’s also been shown to have a direct, contributing effect on emotional trauma, too. Improving your physical health by eating well, exercising, getting plenty of sleep, and avoiding drugs or alcohol, can also help you heal from the effects of psychological trauma.

The road to recovery from psychological trauma can be a long and weary one that also proves to be rather costly. At Lane Brown, we believe that those ultimately responsible should be held accountable.

Have questions about your rights after a serious Chicagoland auto accident? Not sure where to turn? Our attorneys may be able to answer your questions and provide you with the information you need to help aid in your recovery process. Fill out an online comment form to get more information from a skilled attorney.

At Lane Brown, our team of attorneys have taken the initiative to help inform area community leaders, parents, students, and school leaders about the dangers of distracted driving. Throughout our experiences working closely with victims of distracted driving accidents, we’ve gained firsthand knowledge of the physical, emotional, psychological, and financial hardship that results from resulting accidents. Because of this, we’d like to help promote awareness and protect other Chicago families from this devastation.
How We Are Spreading the Message of Safe Driving

We’ve taken the message to local schools through public presentations. Our talks are geared toward high school students, parent groups, teachers, and other community leaders who influence the lives of Chicago’s youth. The subjects we cover include:

Dangers of distracted driving
Safe driving practices for accident prevention
Tips to remember if you are involved in a Chicago car accident

Distracted driving continues to be one of the leading causes of traffic accidents throughout Illinois and the rest of the country. Young, inexperienced drivers tend to be in the age group of the greatest offenders, although no demographic is completely exempt from this problem.
What Is Distracting Our Motorists?

Cell phone use (talking, texting, taking pictures, etc…)
Other passengers in the car
Day dreaming
Eating
Using other electronics (radio, GPS, etc…)

We’ve had the privilege of sharing this information, at no cost, with numerous audiences over recent months, and look forward to more opportunities to communicate this life saving information with other schools throughout the greater Chicago area. If your school or organization is interested in learning more about the dangers of distracted driving, please contact us today. We’d be honored to come discuss this extremely important topic with your group.

Category: Car Accidents

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Residential neighborhoods outside of a downtown setting are an ideal place for many individuals to live in. You may be one of these people. Sidewalks, bright streetlights, large yards, and tree-lined streets draw families with children, empty nesters looking for a quieter place to live, or even the individual looking for the benefits of city living with a small-town feel.

If you’ve noticed, there typically aren’t stoplights in residential neighborhoods to control traffic. Usually these intersections feature stop signs or yield signs to indicate right-of-way for motorists. Usually, in residential neighborhoods, there isn’t a need for traffic lights to direct traffic safely. However, more than 700,000 stops sign-related car accidents still happen each year across the country. In many situations, these accidents can be avoided when motorists exercise a little extra caution on the road.

Remembering S.T.O.P. Could Help You Avoid a Car Accident

S – Safe Distance. Keep a safe distance between your car and any car in front of you when approaching a stop sign intersection. A good rule is to always look for the rear wheels of the car in front of you. If you can’t see them, you’re too close!
T – The Painted Line Matters. Look for a painted line at the intersection. This line is meant to serve as a guide for drivers. If you stop at or before this line, you should ensure that the front end of your vehicle does not protrude into the intersection. Otherwise, your efforts to stop might be too late when cross traffic comes your way.
O – Oncoming Traffic. Oncoming cross traffic can be hidden or difficult to see because other objects obstruct your view. For intersections that are only a two-way stop, ease into the intersection slowly to give yourself extra time to respond to traffic you might not see immediately.
P – Pause a few seconds. A significant number of stop sign crashes are rear-end collisions. Avoid a car crash by waiting a few seconds if there’s a car in front of you at the stop sign. Don’t move forward the second that they do. They may still stop before fully entering the intersection.

School is back in session and thousands of Chicago-area students are immersed in the classrooms learning reading, math, and science. While many parents and guardians worry about the safety of their children at school, one area of safety that you may easily forget about is the time before and after school when kids are traveling.

Data released by AAA showed that around one-quarter of all child pedestrian fatalities happen between 3–7 p.m., the hours right after school lets out. It’s important for motorists to understand safety tips that may prevent a catastrophic Illinois pedestrian and motor vehicle accident from happening.

Extra Caution and Vigilance

During the hours of 7–9 a.m. and 3–5 p.m., it’s important for drivers to maintain vigilance and extra caution in school zones and residential areas. Here are the key steps you can take:

Slow down. School zones have reduced speed limits for a reason. The slower you go, the less likely a child walking will die if struck by your car. No child’s life is worth the extra 30 seconds you save by speeding through a school zone.

Come to a complete stop. Studies show that more than one-third of all drivers admittedly roll through stop signs in school zones and neighborhoods. Always look carefully at intersections and crosswalks before moving ahead.

Eliminate distractions. Loud music, cell phones, eating, and loud passengers all take your mind off the road and divert your eyes away from unpredictable kids walking outside, and could contribute to a car accident.

Watch for bicycles. Kids on bikes may be inexperienced, unstable, and unpredictable on the road. Darting between parked cars or not crossing in designated crosswalks can be common.

Back up with caution. Because kids are often unpredictable, it’s important to always use your mirrors and watch your blind spots to be sure that kids aren’t running or playing around your car. School drop-offs are often congested with cars and students, so be alert.

Car accidents and injuries can be a devastating combination, but when kids are added into the equation, emotions can be heightened and the consequences can be catastrophic. The experienced Chicago car accident lawyers at Lane Brown have the skills and dedication needed to help you understand and pursue your legal rights. Fill out an online form today to schedule your no-hassle free case evaluation, or call us toll-free at 312-332-1400.