Memorial Day Weekend a Dangerous Time for Chicago Car Accidents

The Chicago personal injury lawyers at Abels & Annes wish each of you a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend. Whether on the road, on a boat or elsewhere with friends and family, please stay safe and celebrate responsibly.

Local law officials recently unveiled their plans to help reduce the risk of car accidents in Chicago and elsewhere over the Memorial Day holiday weekend. The Illinois State Police and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) will be operating hundreds of additional seat belt enforcement zones. They’ll be enforcing seat belt regulations as the “Click It or Ticket” campaign celebrates its 10th anniversary. They will also cracking down on intoxicated drivers — one of the primary causes of motor vehicle accidents during this summer kickoff weekend.”Memorial Day is a special time dedicated to the remembrance and reconciliation of those in armed forces who gave their lives to protect our values, freedom and democracy,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig. “The holiday weekend serves as an historical, symbolic and solemn time, often spent with family and friends, and shouldn’t be tainted by impaired drivers or other law violators. If Illinois motorists plan to travel over Memorial Day weekend, we strongly encourage them to continue to drive sober and buckle up, every trip, every time.”

Our Chicago car accident attorneys understand that drinking and driving is a primary threat over any holiday weekend. If you’re busted you can face jail time, a number of fines, license revocation, criminal charges, insurance rate hikes and much more. Drunk driving accidents frequently change lives — or end them.

“The Illinois State Police is committed to making this summer as safe as possible through directed enforcement initiatives,” said Illinois State Police Director Hiram Grau, “We are encouraged by the increase in the number of motorists who are wearing seat belts, and are optimistic the combination of awareness, seat belt compliance and enforcement will help reduce fatalities on Illinois roadways.”

Estimates, from 2010 data show that the 12:00 a.m. to 2:59 a.m. time period resulted in nearly 100 motorist deaths on Illinois roadways. The 3:00 a.m. to 5:59 a.m. time period was the second most deadly time for traffic accidents.

Nearly $2 million in federal funds has been made available to the Illinois State Police, the IDOT and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Police for the increased patrol. In addition to these funds, more than 500 local law enforcement agencies will be stepping up their efforts to keep motorists safe this weekend to enforce impaired driving patrols for the next two-weeks.

More than 50 percent of these patrol units will operate late-evening hours (11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.). The state should expect to see more than 60 roadside impaired driving enforcement safety checks.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were nearly 11,000 fatalities from traffic accidents involving a drunk driver in 2009 in the United States. These accidents made up more than 30 percent of all traffic accident fatalities for the year. The state of Illinois saw nearly 400 fatalities from traffic accidents that involved an impaired driver in 2009.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident involving a drunk driver, the personal injury attorneys and wrongful death lawyers at Abels & Annes offer free and confidential appointments to discuss your rights. Call (866) 99-ABELS. There is no fee unless you win.

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