Chicago Accident Lawyer Blog
An estimated 9,560 people died in motor vehicle crashes nationwide during the first three months of 2022. This number represents a 20% jump from the same period in 2021 according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This number also represents a 20 year high in deaths. The personal injury lawyers of Zneimer & Zneimer P.C. sadly note that the NHTSA has reported the increase in motor vehicle fatalities was even higher in Illinois. Illinois has had 280 fatalities during the first 3 months of 2022 which represents a shocking 24% increase in deaths over 2021. According to the National Safety Council there has been a long term trend of rising traffic deaths in Illinois. In 2010 there were 927 traffic deaths in Illinois compared with 1,194 deaths in Illinois in 2020.
The personal injury attorneys of Zneimer & Zneimer P.C. have observed that the blame for these increases have been placed on the usual suspects of drunken driving and speeding. On top of these two causes and quickly becoming the top cause of traffic fatalities is distracted driving. Almost everyone today has a cell phone and is constantly receiving text messages and e-mails. Many drivers cannot resist talking on their phones or checking in coming text or e-mails that ping on their phones. Just a moment of distraction that takes a drivers eyes off the road is all it takes to cause a driver not to see a pedestrian crossing the road or see a red light that has just turned or see a car that has made a sudden stop in front of their car. It only takes a moment’s distraction to cause a life changing and tragic injury causing crash. The lawyers of Zneimer and Zneimer P.C. urge all drivers to not use their cell phones when driving.