Officials will be out in force through the Fourth of July weekend, looking for drunk or impaired drivers and monitoring the heavy holiday traffic in an effort to reduce the number of serious and fatal Chicago car accidents.
The Illinois Department of Transportation reports that it will attempt to keep lane closures in construction areas to a minimum, but urges motorists to drive sober and allow extra time to reach their destination safely.”While we want everyone to enjoy their holiday weekend, we must put safety first and remind motorists to not drink and drive and to be conscious of work zones,” said IDOT Secretary Gary Hannig. “We will limit lane closures where possible to provide some relief to those traveling over the holiday weekend, but some areas will still have workers present, so please obey the posted speed limits and drive cautiously.”
While New Year’s gets all the attention when it comes to drunk driving and fatal traffic accidents, Fourth of July and Thanksgiving have proven to be the deadliest holidays on the nation’s roads in recent years. And Fourth of July was the most dangerous holiday in Illinois in 2008, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. Nearly 2,700 crashes killed 15 and injured 805 motorists.
Fatal Holiday traffic accidents nationwide in 2008:
New Year’s: 104
Memorial Day: 370
Fourth of July: 437
Labor Day: 423
Thanksgiving: 439
Christmas: 364
New Year’s Eve: 37Fatal Holiday Car Accidents in Illinois in 2008
New Year’s: 10 fatalities/ 575 injuries
Memorial Day: 8 fatalities/726 injuries
Fourth of July: 15 fatalities/805 injuries
Labor Day: 15 fatalities/ 803 injuries
Thanksgiving: 9 fatalities/961 injuries
Christmas: 8 fatalities/841 injuries
Of particular concern will be combating drunk driving. Our Chicago injury attorneys continue to report the high number of Illinois traffic accidents caused by drunk driving. Nationwide, someone is killed in a drunk driving accident every 45 minutes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In 2008, alcohol was involved in more than one-third of all fatal Illinois traffic accidents, accounting for 434 of the state’s 1,043 road deaths.
If you or a loved one is involved in a traffic accident over the Fourth of July weekend, contact the Chicago car accident attorneys at Abels & Annes for a free and confidential appointment to discuss your rights. Call (866) 99-ABELS. There is no fee unless you win.