Articles Posted in Accident Research

Red light and other traffic violations are some of the most dangerous types of driving maneuvers. This negligent conduct leads to numerous Illinois car accidents every year. Motorists who violate traffic signals and red lights may face significant civil and criminal charges, depending on the circumstances that led to their negligent conduct. While these accidents can cause harm on any roadway, it is particularly dangerous in urban and crowded areas such as Chicago.

For instance, local news reports recently described a harrowing Chicago accident involving a red light violation. According to reports, a 26-year-old man driving a Chrysler ran a red light, crossed into an intersection, and slammed into a 23-year-old driver who had a passenger in his vehicle. The impact caused the Chrysler to spin and slam into a 52-year-old pedestrian. Residents tried to help the woman; however, the impact severed a gas line, preventing residents from saving her. The woman’s husband ran out of his home to try and save her; however, she died from her injuries. The 23-year-old man got himself and the baby out of his vehicle through the sunroof, and he was taken to a local hospital for treatment. The Chrysler driver fled the scene of the accident, but police later apprehended him.

Establishing civil negligence is a critical part of any case involving traffic violations. Even in cases where a driver receives a citation or ticket, the plaintiff must still meet all of the elements of a negligence claim. Certain types of evidence can bolster a victim’s claims and aid in establishing the extent of losses and damages. Some pieces of evidence in a Chicago accident case may include:

The results of a new study indicate that drivers who make less money are paying substantially more for the same insurance as drivers who earn more, despite having identical driving records.

The study is based on a collection of data covering hypothetical drivers in 15 cities. Five major insurers were included in the study to give the data a more representative result, including Allstate, Farmers, Geico, Progressive, and State Farm. Researchers used a hypothetical married man and a woman who both were employed in white collar professions, both maintained auto insurance in the prior six months, and owned their cars. In comparison, researchers also sought quotes for a single man and single female who worked blue collar jobs, had not previously owned a car for six months or had automobile insurance, and rented their homes.

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In today’s market, there is a common belief that all car insurance companies are the same and provide the same coverage. The only difference, according to many in the public, is the amount you pay for that coverage. It may surprise you to learn that there is a wide range of types of auto coverage, styles of companies selling those coverages, and the overall quality of the insurance you will receive – price is but one factor to consider.

So what does car insurance in Illinois entail, and what should you look for when selecting a new or updated policy?

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According to a report that was recently released by the Governors Highway Safety Association, the number of teenage drivers killed during the first half of 2012 increased sharply. This was in contravention of the general downward trend over the past decade.During the first six months of 2012, statistics regarding deaths in traffic accidents of 16 and 17 year old drivers were as follows:

• total number of deaths combined increased by 19%
• 107 sixteen year olds died between January and June of 2012, compared to 86 drivers during the same period in 2011
• 133 seventeen year olds died in the first half of 2012 compared with 116 in the first half of 2011

This report was based upon preliminary data, which is sometimes subject to change, due to reporting errors or omissions, or for other reasons. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is expected to release more definitive data later this year, which may provide further clarification regarding the statistics.

Of all of the states that reported, 25 reported increased rates, whereas 17 reported decreases, and eight states and the District of Columbia reported no change in the number of deaths for sixteen and seventeen year olds.

The overall trend, aside from this anomoly, was a downward trend in the deaths of these new drivers. For example, in 2000, 435 sixteen year old drivers were killed, compared with 173 in 2011.
Results were similar with seventeen year old drivers,with the 564 killed in 2000, and 250 in 2011. This downward trend has been in accordance with a similar decline in nationwide traffic fatalities overall.

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Using a voice-activated system to write text messages may not be as preferable to regular texting as lawmakers may have imagined.A new study from the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University concluded that sending text messages by way of a voice assisted system is just as dangerous as regular texting. This is true even if you are wearing a headset to assist you.

The researchers asked the 43 participants to first drive along a test track without any electronic devices present, then repeat the drive while texting, and then finally to send text messages while using a speech-to-text device while driving.

While texting, with either method, a driver’s eye contact with the road decreased and response time was significantly delayed. Additionally, according to the study’s abstract, “Results indicate that driver reaction times were nearly two times slower than the baseline condition, no matter which texting method was used.”

Researchers also noted that it took longer to send the voice assisted texts, due to the need to correct errors in the message. The study used three different voice texting programs, with the same results.

According to data from AAA, a national drivers’ organization:

• 35% of drivers admit to reading a text or email while driving
• 26% admit to typing a text or email while driving

The results of the study are eye opening, because most texting and cell phone use bans address only manual use of these devices. In fact, they sometimes explicitly state that these uses are acceptible so long as the driver’s voice, rather than eyes and hands, are controlling the communication or other device.

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As early as the end of this year, people will be able to start purchasing a new product called Google Glass, a.k.a. Google glasses. The product is eye-wear that acts as a head mounted computer. With various voice commands you can surf the web, send a message, check the weather, take photos and video, and get directions.

While you cannot buy this product yet, there has already been a law proposed to ban it’s use while driving. A legislator in West Virginia, Gary Howell has proposed HB 3037, which adds language to the state’s texting law to make illegal the act of “using a wearable computer with head mounted display” while driving.

 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1uyQZNg2vE
 
Google Glass YouTube Video

The Republican legislator is quoted as saying that he likes the idea of the Google glasses and believes they are a product of the future, however he believes that the use of the product is a form of distracted driving. He also thinks that younger and more inexperienced drivers are more likely to use the product and that the glasses could lead to motor vehicle accidents. He argues that we all know there has been many fatal accidents caused by texting and driving, and that he and his fellow lawmakers fought very hard to ban texting while driving in West Virginia.

I have not been able to find any articles on his proposed law where he or any other legislator talk about research or testing to back up his theory of increased accidents. Google on the other hand is stating they believe their product could reduce accidents. Google Glass uses hands-free technology and is voice activated. In theory, as a driver uses the product they would not have to take their eyes off the road.

The Google glasses have voice-activated turn by turn navigation. So instead of having to push buttons on your dashboard and having to look down to your right for navigation, you can just communicate to the head-mounted display your final destination, and you will be instructed where to go without taking your eyes off the roadway.

When I drive, I find that using my iPhone is significantly easier than onboard navigation. It is easier to use, and I can hold the navigation screen up higher, or mount it on my dashboard, so when I look at it the road is still in front of me. Google Glass seems to take that step further. I would never have to take my eyes off the road in theory.

Outlawing the use of Google Glass while driving concerns me without more research. Texting while driving is illegal in many states, however research shows many teenagers ignore the new laws and the statutes are difficult to enforce. With the Google product, teens could send messages verbally without ever taking their eyes off the roadway. In reality, the Google glasses could save lives with new safety technology, however the proposed law in West Virginia could prevent those lives from being saved.

I can only hope there will be research on this issue before the product comes on the market, and as a car crash lawyer I am very interested in seeing the results.
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