Illinois Driving While Impaired

Driving while impaired continues to be a major cause in Illinois traffic accidents, many of which have caused serious accident injuries.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) on its Medline Plus page titled “Impaired Driving” discusses and defines impaired driving as:

Impaired driving is dangerous. It’s the cause of more than half of all car crashes. It means operating a motor vehicle while you are affected by

Alcohol
Legal or illegal drugs
Sleepiness
Distractions, such as using a cell phone or texting
Having a medical condition which affects your driving

On this site, distracted driving is further discussed on the “Distracted Driving Accidents” page.

As seen in many statistics, driving after drinking is a major issue around holidays. The Illinois Department of Transportation issued a news release on December 28, 2016, titled “A New Year’s Resolution to Drive Sober, Buckle Up.” (pdf)

An excerpt:

Crash data compiled by IDOT shows that in the last five years (2011-15), 49 people died in crashes on Illinois roads during the New Year’s holiday period. Twenty, or 41 percent, died in crashes involving at least one driver who had been drinking. During last year’s New Year’s holiday, 16 people lost their lives, with six fatalities, or 38 percent, as a result of crashes involving at least one driver who tested positive for alcohol.
“DUI remains one of the top contributing factors in fatal crashes around the holidays,” said Illinois State Police Director Leo P. Schmitz. “ISP Troopers will be conducting roadside safety checks and roving patrols, looking for and arresting intoxicated motorists. Remember, drive sober or get pulled over.”

Also seen in the press release is various tips for avoiding drunk driving.

Trends And Factors Regarding Illinois Fatal Traffic Accidents

On December 17, 2016 the State Journal-Register published an article titled “Speeding ticket numbers down, fatalities up on Illinois roads.” The article discusses trends in Illinois traffic fatalities, the number of speeding tickets being issued by the Illinois State Police (ISP), and what factors may be causing the increase in Illinois fatal traffic accidents.

An excerpt from the article:

Over the past five years, the number of Illinois State Police troopers on patrol and the number of speeding citations they’ve issued statewide have gone down significantly. Troopers issued 211,857 speeding tickets in 2010, and last year, 126,959 tickets were issued, a decline of 40 percent.

The article also discusses various factors that are leading to the increase in Illinois traffic fatalities, which have already surpassed 1000 for the year.

One of the factors mentioned is distracted driving. An excerpt:

Matt Wells, associate director of the Midwest Trucking Association, 2727 Dirksen Parkway, said a lot of the commercial drivers he talks to still see people using their cellphones while driving.
“When we are talking to the drivers who are out on the road today, we are still seeing a lot of people operating their cars distracted,” Wells said. “They are either texting, perusing Facebook or not paying attention to the roadway via hand-held mobile devices or even watching videos in the driver’s seat on a tablet.”

On this site, distracted driving as an accident cause is further discussed on the “Distracted Driving Accidents” page.

An excerpt from that page:

Texting while driving is particularly hazardous, for a number of reasons. One reason is that texting while driving distractions are frequent and protracted in nature. According to the CDC, texting is one distraction that takes the driver’s attention away from driving on a more frequent basis – and for longer periods – than other distractions.

Additional details can be seen in the sources mentioned above.

Fatal Truck Accident On I-55 In Bolingbrook

There was a fatal truck accident early this morning (December 20, 2016) on Interstate 55 (I-55) in Bolingbrook.

According to the Illinois State Police (ISP) the accident happened shortly before 3:30 a.m., in the northbound lanes. The collision between the two trucks occurred near Route 53. Several cars may have been involved as well.

An excerpt from the Bolingbrook Patch article of December 20, 2016, titled “Driver Killed as Semis Collide on I-55 in Southwest Suburbs“:

Cars slid into the trucks after they careened out of control. The vehicles reportedly slid on highway ice.
William A. Hansen Jr., 60, of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, died at the scene, according to the Will County coroner’s office.

Additional details regarding this Will County fatal accident can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the Bolingbrook Patch article seen above, as well as the December 20 NBC Chicago article (with videos) titled “Deadly Semi Crash Closes Northbound I-55 at Route 53.”

Fatal Two-Car Collision On Route 45 In Frankfort

There was a fatal car crash Thursday afternoon (December 8, 2016) in Frankfort. The two-vehicle crash on Route 45 was a “head-on collision.”

According to the Illinois State Police (ISP), the crash happened at approximately 2:10 p.m. as a woman driving a Mitsubishi Outlander was northbound on Route 45. At that time, when the SUV was near Steger Road, the collision occurred.

An excerpt concerning the collision from the December 9, 2016 The Herald-News article titled “Kankakee woman dies in Frankfort crash“:

“The Mitsubishi crossed into the southbound lane and struck a silver Chevrolet Cruze head-on,” Illinois State Police District 5 Sgt. S. Ortiz said.

According to the Will County Coroner’s Office, the driver of the Mitsubishi, identified as Rebecca J. Schatz, 37, of Kankakee, was pronounced dead at the accident scene.

The driver of the Chevrolet Cruz, identified as a 20-year-old woman from Joliet, was taken to Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove for treatment of her accident injuries.

The accident investigation continues.

Additional details and possible updates concerning this fatal Will County car accident can be seen in a variety of media sources, including The Herald-News article mentioned above, as well as the December 9 Mokena Patch article titled “Woman, 37, Killed in Frankfort Crash.”