Articles Posted in Car Accident

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Those who oppose red-light cameras argue that the only thing they’re good for is to generate revenue for struggling towns and cities, according to MSNBC. Advocates for the red-light cameras argue that these devices are used not to make a quick buck, but to increase motorist safety on roadways nationwide. With the threat of a possible ticket, drivers are likely to pass through these intersections more safely and your risks for a car accident in Chicago and elsewhere decrease.

More than 500 cities and towns in roughly half of all U.S. states currently have red-light cameras. These intersection watchers snap pictures and take video of drivers who run red lights. As contract for early adopters begin to run out, many wonder if cities are going to keep them around.Our Chicago car accident attorneys note that guidelines through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) make revenue an invalid justification for the use of the these intersection cameras. Still, our 400 red-light cameras in Chicago generated more than $64 million in 2009 alone. Safety advocates continue to insist they have made intersections in the city and its suburbs significantly safer.

Because most red-light cameras are contracted out to private companies, they get a large percentage of each fine. This is where oppositional parties argue that there is a danger of “vendor overreach” in increasing the number of citations to generate more money for the contractor. Complaints in Chicago have ranged from targeting busy intersections regardless of accident statistics (and therefore maximizing revenue) to shortening yellow lights in an attempt to increase the number of offenders.

As we recently discussed on our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, the NHTSA reported that more than 4,500 fatal accidents were at intersections or were intersection-related. Regardless of the presence of red-light cameras, nothing can replace safe driving skills.

Chicago started red-light camera enforcement back in 2003. Our city initially started the pilot program at two intersections, Peterson and Western and 55th and Western. Those locations were chosen based on crash data, according to The City of Chicago. As of May 1, nearly 200 intersections have been equipped with red-light cameras.

There have been a number of large studies over the past 10 years that have all concluded that these red-light cameras reduce accidents and injuries. The most recent study, published in February by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, analyzed 10 years of federal traffic data 99 of the largest U.S. cities. Nearly 15 percent of them have installed red-light cameras. The Institute calculated that had all 99 cities installed the devices, more than 800 lives could have been saved from 2004 to 2008.

“We still have thousands of people who die,” said Adrian Lund, the Insurance Institute’s president. “We look at where and how that’s happening, and one of the most dangerous (locations) is intersections.”

The U.S. Conference of Mayors recently approved a resolution that would endorse nationwide adoption of red light cameras.

These red-light cameras oftentimes lead to fines and, depending on the jurisdiction, can lead to costly points on drivers’ records. A number of these consequences result from borderline infractions like neglecting to come to a complete stop at an intersection before making a right turn.

Another recent study from the Insurance Institute found that there has been a significant decline in deaths from red-light accidents in cities that have installed these cameras. A number of researchers write off the cameras as the contributor to the decline because deaths from U.S. roadway accidents of all sorts have decreased significantly during the study period.

The City of Chicago offers drivers a map of red-light camera intersections throughout the city.
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Secretary of State Jesse White has been an advocate for safe teen driving for quite some time now. Back in 2008, he continued to voice his opposition to raising the driving age in our state after the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety announced its support for raising the driving age nationwide to at least 17-years-old. He opposed this move because he believes it’s not the age of the driver that affects their road safety, but the experience and knowledge that they possess.He continues to argue that safe teen driving won’t come with an increase driving age, but rather by working to better prepare young, novice drivers, regardless of their age, and with increasing parental involvement. Once teens are properly taught effective driving habits, we will then begin to see reduced risks of car accidents in Chicago and elsewhere throughout the state.

Our Chicago personal injury attorneys would like to reiterate that car accidents are the number one cause for teen deaths in the United States. In a car accident that involves a teen driver, anyone and everyone is at risk. In an attempt to raise awareness about the importance of educating our teen drivers, the National Safety Council recently announced that it is currently accepting nominations for the 2011 Teen Driving Safety Leadership Award. This award, sponsored by General Motors and the Illinois-based safety organization, aims to recognize individuals and organizations that have made significant advances in protecting our young drivers.

“My office initiated a new teen driver safety law, effective January 1, 2008, that gives Illinois one of the strongest graduated driver licensing (GDL) programs in the nation,” said White. “The new law better prepares teen drivers by tripling the length of the permit phase, increasing parental involvement, limiting in-car distractions, and strengthening penalties.”

White’s office has also initiated another key law that allows parents of teens that are under age 18 to view their teen’s driving record free online.

“By giving parents access to these driving records, we are helping them stay even more involved in their teenagers’ driving patterns as they proceed through the GDL program,” said White. “Parental involvement is a key component to any successful GDL program.”

The Council is looking for individuals or organizations that have participated in some of the following safe teen driving efforts:

-Advocacy.

-Enacting legislation based on proven safety methods.

-Demonstrating a consistent commitment to teen driving safety leadership.

-Leadership or coordination of an effort to adopt best practices.

-Enhancing public understanding of teen driving safety issues and prevention methods.

“General Motors has a longstanding affiliation with NSC and the Teen Driving Program,” said Mike Robinson, vice president, GM Environment, Energy and Safety Policy. “Driver behavior plays a critical role in safety, particularly for new, inexperienced drivers. We are pleased to support this recognition program and the awareness it gives to developing and maintaining safe driver habits.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 2,500 15- to 20-year-old drivers lost their lives in traffic accidents in the United States in 2009. Another 196,000 of these young drivers suffered injuries from these incidents. During that year, Illinois lost more than 50 young drivers because of motor-vehicle accidents on our roadways.

“Recent studies have shown that the most comprehensive GDL programs can reduce traffic fatalities for 16-year-old drivers by as much as 21 percent. While Illinois’ GDL law already contains many of the components that are believed to reduce traffic fatalities for these young drivers, we want to make sure that we take every reasonable step possible to save more lives,” White said. “These young people are our future leaders and we want to protect them so they have the opportunity to grow up and fulfill their aspirations.”

You can access our Illinois Graduated Driver License Program’s Parent-Teen Driving Guide to help educate all parties of the learning process to help reduce the risks of traffic accidents on our roadways.

You are encouraged to submit your nomination for the 2011 Teen Driving Safety Leadership Award through August 5, 2011. Keep in mind Secretary of State Jesse White and all he’s done to help ensure the safety of our young drivers when filling out those nomination forms.
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Illinois is already one of the states in the United States that has banned the use of cell phones by drivers in school and work zones and has banned all drivers from text messaging in an attempt to reduce the frequency of distracted driving car accidents in Illinois, according to the Governors Highway Safety Administration. While many motorists ignore these safe driving laws, they may soon have another force fighting their distracted driving habits. A proposed federal law. Introduced by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., aims to federalize driving and cell phone usage. These types of laws are currently managed by individual states– and sometimes even cities as is the case with Chicago’s cell phone ban.Our Chicago car accident attorneys hope that this proposed legislation will one day serve as additional ammo in the fight against distracted drivers. The proposed bill would direct the U.S. Department of Transportation to set up a standard for the entire country that would prohibit hand-held cell phone use while driving.

“Driving while making a phone call, texting or using apps can be as dangerous as driving drunk, and much more common,” Rep. McCarthy said. “With some basic commonsense rules that are already in place in some parts of the country, we can reduce injuries and save lives in America.”

There are a few exclusions to this proposed law. Drivers would still be allowed to use voice-operated, vehicle-integrated devices, as well as voice-operated GPS systems. Even though there are cognitive distractions still present with hands-free devices, they pose a much less serious problem than using a hand-held device.

Under the proposed bill, the Department of Transportation would be required to conduct a study on distracted driving. This study would be required to focus on the issue of cognitive distraction and the impact of distraction on newly licensed, young drivers. Within two years of the completed study, the DOT would then be required to report its findings to Congress. Recommendations for revising the minimum distracted driving prohibitions and penalties must accompany this report. These newly proposed minimum distracted driving prohibitions would be mandatory for all states. Each state would then be allotted two years to comply with the law or lose a quarter of their federal highway funding.

Currently, each state is able to create their own laws regulating cell phone and texting use. Some states offer strict laws to prevent distracted driving while others have absolutely no restrictions at all. A majority of states ban teenagers from using cell phones while driving. Texting behind the wheel of a motor vehicle is forbidden in some 30 states. If this proposed bill becomes law, the entire country would be put under a seamless law that would require all motorists to follow it or face the consequences.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 5,500 people died because of car accidents that involved a distracted driver in 2009. These accidents accounted for roughly 1 in 6 of all motor-vehicle accident related fatalities that year.
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An Illinois injury lawyer at Abels and Annes has agreed to help a motorist that was recently injured by another driver who fell asleep at the wheel.

The Chicago-area car crash occurred earlier this month in Aurora, Illinois around 4 AM. The plaintiff was driving his 1999 Honda Accord home from work on Farnsworth Street. At that time the defendant, who was driving a 2007 Mitsubishi Gallant in the opposite direction, fell asleep at the wheel and crossed the center line, striking our client’s vehicle head-on.

The Aurora Police Department responded to the scene of the accident. After the investigation, they placed the defendant at fault on the police report.

Unfortunately, our client was seriously injured in the accident. He was taken by ambulance to Provena Mercy Medical Center with significant internal bleeding in his stomach. There he had to undergo emergency surgery. He was also having breathing/lung issues, right shoulder pain and low back pain. Due to the surgical procedure, he has a 8 to 10 inch wound which has been closed up with staples. He is expected to have a large permanent scar. He is also going to have to have follow-up medical care with several different specialists.

Our law firm has been brought in to pursue a claim against the at fault driver and his insurance carrier.

This accident is a good example of the dangers of drowsy driving. According to statistics gathered by the National Sleep Foundation, in the year 2005 approximately 60% of drivers (168 million drivers) stated that they had driven drowsy over the past 12 months, and 37% of those drivers had actually fall asleep at the wheel. Of those who fell asleep, 13% admitted that it happens to them around once a month. 4 percent, which is around 11 million motorists, said they were involved in a crash or a near collision due to drowsiness.

On the foundation’s website, DrowsyDriving.org, they go on to state that the federal government estimates that there are around 100,000 accidents each year caused by drowsiness. These accidents result in over 1500 deaths, 71,000 injuries and a financial cost of over $12 billion. These statistics are taken from police reports..

The foundation also speculates that these 100,000 accidents could be just the “tip of the iceberg” because it is often difficult to determine that sleepiness caused a collision for the following reasons:

– Police have no test to determine drowsiness (unlike DUIs where officers have many different tests).

– States have no consistent practice as to how to report crashes caused by sleepiness.

– Data from overseas (England, Finland, Australia and other European nations) where there are more consistent accident reporting methods compared to the USA, have statistics that show driver fatigue causes anywhere from 10 to 30% of all accidents.

The website also reports that many motorists are drowsy as they commute to and from work. Around 71% of Americans drive to their places of employment. 27% of those commuters admit to driving drowsy several days per month, 12% did it a few days a week, and 4% admit driving drowsy almost every day.

Drowsy driving accidents occur most with younger people, shift workers, and adults with children. The worst sleepy offenders are adults ages 18-29 who represent 71% of drowsy motorists, as compared to people ages 65 and over who represent a much lower 19%.

When you are behind the wheel, here are some warning signs that you are sleepy and that you should get off the road:

– You are yawning a lot – Blurred vision – Your head starts to nod and your eyelids droop – You have trouble remembering the last few miles driven, or you miss an exit or traffic sign – You drive off on the shoulder, drift from your lane or tailgate – You feel restless and irritable
Like drinking and driving, drowsy driving slows down your reaction time, impairs your judgment and increases your risk of being involved in an accident.

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AAA has launched a teen driver website specific to all 50 states in an effort to help young drivers and their parents put the emphasis on driver safety. Keys2Drive: The AAA Guide to Teen Driver Safety, comes with state-specific information to help us to educate our teens and to help to reduce their risks of car accidents.

According to this customizable website, car accidents take the lives of more teens than suicide, homicide and cancer combined. Recent research from safe teen driving advocacy groups concluded that when teens ride with siblings, teenage neighbors and friends, they are at substantially higher risk risk of being involved in a car accident in Chicago or elsewhere. This is proven true even with the brightest of teens behind the wheel. One of the biggest saviors is experience, which will only come with time and practice.Our Chicago car accident attorneys ask that parents get involved in their teen’s learning experience — especially through the long summer months. Encourage them to do things like wear their seat belt, abide by speed limits and to only drive during the daytime hours. These three characteristics have been proven to greatly reduce the risk of an accident. Talk to your teen about these safe driving rules and explain to them the responsibility of safe driving habits and the consequences of irresponsible driving.

It’s no secret that teens are at an increased risk for accidents on our roadways. Although teen drivers, those between the ages of 15- and 20-years old, only make up 7 percent of the entire licensed population in the United States, accidents that involved a teen driver made up roughly 20 percent of all of the traffic accidents. As a matter of fact, motor-vehicle accidents are the number one killer of teenagers. Based on total miles driven, teen drivers are involved in roughly three times as many deadly traffic accidents compared to any other age group.

We agree with the AAA Foundation in saying that turning your teenage driver into a safe driver in indeed a complex task. There are two major parts of this learning experience. A teen driver must learn the rules of the road and they must learn how to safely operate a vehicle. Many safe driving advocates urge that these new, young drivers participate in a driver education and training program in order to learn both aspects. It is never too early to start this learning process. A good driver education program can help your young driver to develop safe driving habits, to improve hazard recognition and explain how to manage time, space and visibility in traffic.

What can you do, as a parent, to help your teen become a safer driver?:

-Always obey road laws when your child is in the vehicle with you.

-Always wear your seat belt and encourage your young soon-to-be driver to do so as well.

-Get involved and be interactive. Talk to your kids about road signs, pedestrians and other vehicles. Explain every aspect of driving to them so they’re left with no questions or confusion.

-Ride with your teens. Illinois requires that parents and their teen drivers conduct at least 50 hours of supervised driving practice. This includes at least 10 hours of night driving. AAA recommends at least 100 hours of supervised driving time.

-Talk to them about driving during different moods or emotions. Angry or tired driving is distracted driving and increases risks for an accident.

-Although your teen may not be of legal age to drink alcohol, it doesn’t mean that they won’t. Talk to you teen about the dangers and the consequences of driving under the influence.

To get a license in Illinois, teens must complete a three-stage process that allows them to gradually gain exposure to different driving situations. This allows them to ease into driving over a period of time. Two of these steps include the instruction permit and initial driver’s license. After these steps they are eligible to receive their full driver’s license. The GDL program has been proven to better educate teen drivers.

Parents are urged to create and enact a parent-teen driving agreement as well in an attempt to set down some ground rules for driving that everyone can agree on.
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Traffic fatality statistics for 2010 will be released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration later this summer. Meanwhile, the agency has recently released comprehensive state-by-state data for 2009. Statistics show car accidents in Chicago and elsewhere in Illinois declined 13 percent. Still, Illinois experienced more than 900 fatalities resulting from traffic accidents in 2009.

As that number is still relatively high, law enforcement and safety advocates continue their push to urge drivers to drive safer on our roadways and to abide by driving laws during the busy summer driving season and throughout the remainder of the year.Our Chicago car accident attorneys believe that through a conscious effort from all residents we can maintain a significant decrease in these numbers. This decrease will have to result from more alert driving, less distracted driving, the monitoring of drunk driving and more awareness for on-foot travelers and cyclists.

In our state, nearly 1 death occurs for ever 100 million vehicle miles traveled. It is also estimated that there are almost 9 deaths for every 100 million registered vehicles or nearly 11 deaths for every 100 million licensed drivers.

Illinois has witnessed a numbers of years in which the number of fatalities resulting from car accidents has decreased. The steepest decrease occurred from 1975 to 2009 when we saw a decreased of 55 percent. In 1975, we saw more than 2,000 traffic accident fatalities, compared to 911 in 2009. During these 34 years, we experienced a 76 percent decrease in the number of fatalities per vehicle miles traveled.

The numbers aren’t all positive, however. From 2000 to 2009, we saw a near 5 percent increase in fatalities from car accidents that involved a drunk driver. During 2009 alone, nearly 40 percent of all fatal traffic accidents involved a driver with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 or higher.

Speeding was also a common factor in many of these accidents. Of the 911 traffic fatalities in 2009, 325 of them were the result of an accident that involved a speeding driver. Most of these accident occurred in an area with a set speed limit of 55 mph.

Passenger cars suffered the most fatal accidents as they accounted for nearly half of all deadly crashes. Light trucks followed behind, accounting for 32.9 percent of all fatal crashes.

In an attempt to reduce these numbers, Illinois enact a seat belt law for all front seat passengers. If you’re busted not wearing your seat belt, you could face an immediate $30 fine. This law went into effect back in 2003. Consequently, more than 90 percent of motorists wear their seat belt. More recently, the state has enacted a law banning drivers from text messaging or using a cell phone in school zones and construction sites.

Just by looking at this data, there are a few things you can do to reduce your risk of being in an accident. It may not seem like rocket science, but believe it or not, many residents refuse to follow these few precautionary steps. Residents are urged not to drink and drive as it greatly increases your chances of being involved in an accident. All motorists are urged to wear their seat belt, not only because it’s the law but to help save your life in the event of an accident. And lastly, you’re urged to abide by the speed limits. Increasing your speed increases impact upon a collision which increases the severity of injuries.
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Two teenagers were killed and three other occupants injured in a tragic Western Illinois car accident when their attempt at “hill hopping,” or driving over a hill at high speeds to get airborne, ended with their car rolling multiple times and striking a tree. According to WGEM.com, the crash occurred just outside Carthage, Illinois in the 1600 block of North Hancock County Road. The 18 year-old driver lost control of her vehicle as it landed and she was killed along with a 16 year-old passenger.

Locals say the area, known as “Butterfly hills,” is a popular destination for teens looking for thrills, and hill hopping at the location is a common occurrence. Teens often set out for the specific reason to drive over the hill at speeds of 90-100 miles per hour. Police said this was not the first crash at the hill.

“I would have died too,” said a friend of the victims, “it’s not easy to know your friends died doing something that everybody has done.”

Police said there were no drugs or alcohol involved in the crash, and both victims were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the accident.

While these types of accidents aren’t common, there are incidents throughout the country of teens being killed or severely injured after unsuccessful hill hopping attempts. The Chicago Tribune reported a similar incident that occurred in Long Grove, Illinois in 2004 when two teens decided to go hill hopping on a rural stretch of road. The car was traveling 90 m.p.h. when it hit the crest of the hill and sent the automobile careening out of control until it was stopped by a tree. The driver was ejected from the vehicle and survived, but his best friend was killed in the wreck.

The driver, who later pled guilty to reckless homicide, now gives speeches to teens about the dangers of reckless joy-riding. He explains how the invincibility that teens often feel is an illusion, and how by the time he realized this, he had to live with the guilt of killing his best friend.

Another similar incident happened just last year in Ohio when three teens between 15 and 16 years-old were severely injured after their car lost control and overturned during a hill hopping incident described as “horrific.” None of the occupants were wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, and two of the occupants were ejected from the car.

Like the incident outside of Carthage, the crash occurred at a spot frequented by local teens looking to have fun. In fact, a 16 year-old was killed in a hill hopping attempt seven years prior at the same Ohio location. The victim died after crashing into a tree, the same tree the latest victims grazed as they lost control of their vehicle, the Dayton Daily News reported.

Unfortunately, this is not trend likely to go away anytime soon and it has been going on for a long time. I recently discussed this accident with a 40-year-old attorney who said that when he was a teenager back in the 1980s, he could recall hill hopping on several occasions with his friends.

Click here to read the story as reported by The Daily Gate City.

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Drivers are urged to check their tires early and often this summer, according to a recently released consumer advisory from the U.S. Department of Transportation. All motorists are asked to inspect their tires to make sure that they’re properly inflated and to check for signs of tread wear and damage. It is important for drivers to do so during this time of year, as the weather has warmed up and motorists now face an increased risk of a tire-related car accidents in Chicago and elsewhere throughout the state.This consumer advisory was released just in time to coincide with National Tire Safety Week. It is during the next few summer months that motorists are at highest risk.

Our Chicago car accident attorneys ask that all residents take a look at this consumer advisory and carefully follow the recommendations as these safety precautions can help to keep you safe on our roadways. Old, under-inflated tires and the heat of the summer can have deadly consequences.

“As the weather warms up, it’s especially important for drivers to ensure their tires are properly inflated,” Secretary Ray LaHood said. “For your safety and the safety of others on the road, inspect your tires regularly and maintain the proper inflation.”

According to the Department’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the most recent data reports that roughly 3,400 people died from 2005 to 2009 because of tire-related accidents. Another 116,000 were injured in these preventable incidents.

“While it’s true improperly maintained tires can contribute to a crash at any time of year, it is particularly critical for motorists to check tires during hot weather, when families and luggage often overload vehicles for long vacation trips,” NHTSA Administrator David Strickland warned. “Underinflated tires spinning on hot asphalt for extended periods of time can be a recipe for disaster.”

Motorist are urged by the DOT to check the tire pressure in all four tires regularly, but especially before venturing out on long car trips. They are also urged to keep an eye on the wear and tear of their tires. Old, aging tires are more susceptible to heat stress and can cause a deadly accident. This risk only increases if your old tires are not properly inflated.

Motorists can take a peek at their tire sidewall to judge the age of their tires. You can also check with the vehicle’s owner’s manual or with the tire manufacturer to see how often you should be changing your tires.

Keeping your tires up to par will not only help to keep you safe on our roadways, but it can help to keep you from wasting your money at the pump. According to the Department of Energy, tires that are not properly inflated can lower your vehicle’s gas mileage by nearly 0.5 percent for every 1 PSI (pound per square inch) drop in pressure. This means that if your vehicle gets an average of 30 miles per gallon and you vehicle’s tires require 35 PSI then a drop in just a quarter of tire pressure would mean you’re losing almost 9 percent in fuel economy. This equals about 3 miles per gallon!
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The death rate for SUV drivers has dropped nearly 70 percent. Safety advocates credit the installation of electronic stability for the increased safety, according to USA Today. This new technology uses the SUV’s brakes and the power of the engine to keep these vehicles on all fours, decreasing the risk of death during a car accident in Chicago and elsewhere throughout the United States, according to a recent report released by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Our Illinois car accident attorneys understand that SUV drivers are now among those that are least likely to die in a traffic accident. These drivers are now much safer than passengers in smaller cars. The recent high rollover rate for these larger vehicles may have been the reason that this new technology was introduced more quickly in SUVs than in cars. Either way, SUV drivers have one less thing to worry about.Previously, before the introduction of this technology, the death rate for SUV drivers was 82 per million vehicles in the 1999 to 2002 models. Now, with the new safety measures, SUVs have a driver death rate of only 28 per million vehicles in the newer 2005 to 2008 models.

Drivers of cars weren’t so fortunate with the release of new car models. These vehicles went from a driver death rate of 110 per million in the 1999 to 2002 model to a driver death rate of 72 per million in the 2005 to 2008 models. While still a decrease in deaths, it doesn’t compare to the reduction of the SUV rates.

“The rollover risk in SUVs used to outweigh their size/weight advantage, but that’s no longer the case,” says Anne McCartt, the institute’s senior vice president for research. “It’s a dramatic change and a testament to the incredible effectiveness of electronic stability control.”

Here are the top 15 safest SUVs, according to ABC News:

-Audi A6 4-door 4WD

-Mercedes E-Class 4-door 4WD

-Toyota Sienna

-Ford Edge

-Nissan Armada

-Land Rover Range Rover Sport

-Land Rover LR3

-Honda CR-V

-Jeep Grand Cherokee

-Acura MDX

-Mercedes E-Class 4-door

-Lexus RX 400h

-Lexus GX 470

-Mercedes M-Class

-Saab 9-3 4-door

“The rollover risk in SUVs used to outweigh their size/weight advantage, but that’s no longer the case, thanks to ESC,” Anne McCartt, the Institute’s senior vice president for research. “It’s not just weight that gives SUVs an advantage. It’s also their height and other factors. When cars and SUVs of similar weight are compared, the SUVs have lower death rates.”

According to the IIHS report, drivers of smaller vehicles are nearly three times more likely to die in a motor-vehicle crash than in a rollover. Stability control has not been widely introduced in these types of passenger cars.

“For years, small cars have represented the low end of the economic spectrum and received fewer safety and enhanced design features,” says Sean Kane of Safety Research & Strategies, which advises plaintiff lawyers, government and auto suppliers. “Undoubtedly, that has an effect.”

Last year, there were nearly 12 million vehicles sold in the United States. Nearly 6 million of these sales were SUVs, pickups or vans while the remaining 5.6 million were cars.

“This report explains why Americans equate size with safety, even though small cars today are safer than ever before,” Newton says.

Many safety advocates suggest that more focus needs to be placed on the safety of smaller car occupants in the event of an accident with a larger vehicle.

“The trend from the reported data is clear: The lighter the vehicle, the higher the likelihood that its driver will be killed in a collision with another vehicle,” says Mukul Verma, a veteran auto industry safety official
Here are the top 10 vehicles with the worst driver death ratings:

-Nissan 350Z

-Nissan Titan crew cab

-Chevrolet Aveo

-Chevrolet Cobalt

-Nissan Titan extended cab

-Kia Spectra

-Chevrolet Malibu Classic

-Hyundai Tiburon

-Nissan Versa

-Chevrolet Colorado extended cab

If you were to compare vehicles using their most recent death rates, you would find that minivans are by far the safest with a driver death rate of 25. SUVs were right behind with a score of 28 followed by pickups with an average of 52 driver deaths per million registration years. In last place were cars with an unfortunate average of 56.

It is still important to point out that large cars perform better than small ones. Smaller four-door cars have a death rate of 82 while their larger four-door members have a death rate of 46.
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Manny’s Delicatessen, Petterino’s, Gold Coast Dogs, multiple Starbucks locations, and most recently the Wilmette Public Library and the Glenview Post Office. Those are just a few of the local businesses that have been hit by cars in the Chicago area. Further, there has been several homes that have been the victims of Chicago auto accidents.

A Wilmette, Illinois library employee was recently hurt after a 56-year-old female driver lost control of her car and drove through a glass and brick wall on the North side of the building, according to Tribune Local. She apparently hit the gas instead of the brakes by mistake and accelerated into the library. The motorist was uninjured, and there was no evidence to suggest that drugs or alcohol played a role in the incident.

The vehicle crashed into a staff room where books are organized to be placed back on shelves. A library employee was working in a desk when the accident occurred, and her desk was moved by the collision impact.

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