Chicago Accident Lawyer Blog
This week Chicago police will begin pulling over drivers who do not yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk. Moving-violation ticket fines range up to $500.00. The city will use plainclothes police officers posing as pedestrians at intersections without stop signs to implement the sting operation.
Additionally, legislation has been introduced in the Illinois Senate that will require Illinois drivers not only to yield but to come to a full stop when pedestrians are in a crosswalk. Violators would face a minimum $150.00 fine.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics show that there have been more than 6,000 auto-pedestrian crashes in Illinois, with more that 3,000 of these accidents occurring annually in the city of Chicago.
It would help if Chicago police vehicles would take the lead and set an example and stop for pedestrians in crosswalks. Any resident of Chicago can attest to the fact that Chicago police vehicles simply do not yield to pedestrians in crosswalks and if a pedestrian was foolish enough to to walk in front of a Chicago police vehicle, he would likely add to the statistics.