Preliminary data from the Illinois Department of Transportation shows that there have been 496 fatal crashes in our state in 2018 thus far. Those crashes include motor vehicle occupants as well as bicyclists and pedestrians killed on Illinois public roadways. There have been 541 people killed so far, compared to 580 at the same time last year.
For the entire year of 2017, there were 998 fatal crashes resulting in 1,090 fatalities. Hopefully as a community we can get these numbers down in 2018. Here are some of the ways we can all pursue that goal:
- Wear a seat belt. Although the restraints won’t eliminate the risk of death in the event of a crash, wearing a seat belt reduces the risk of fatal injury by 45 percent, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- Don’t drive distracted. Smartphones are ubiquitous and there are a lot of distracting electronic gadgets built into vehicles these days. But focusing all of your attention on the task of driving can reduce your crash risk. Distracted driving contributed to 3,450 accident deaths in 2016, according to the NHTSA.
- Obey speed limits. Speed limits have been decided based on what is safest for the given roadway. According to the NHTSA, speeding contributed to 27 percent – more than one-quarter – of all traffic fatalities in 2016.
These are just a few of the things you can do to reduce your crash risk. If you have been injured in an accident in Chicago, Berwyn, Oak Park, Cicero or the surrounding areas, you may be eligible to pursue compensation for your injuries with the help of our lawyers. For a FREE case review, please call the Sklare Law Group at 312-263-0771.