Personal Injury Law

Chicago Motorcycle Accidents: At Least Six Motorcyclists Killed in Area Crashes Over the Memorial Day Weekend

As Motorcycle Awareness month begins to wrap up, our Chicago motorcycle accident law firm is sad to report that there were at least six Illinois motorcyclists killed in three Chicago-area traffic accidents over the holiday weekend. While the number of Illinois motorcycle deaths have recently declined?135 motorcyclist fatalities in 2008 compared to 157 rider deaths in 2007, the motorcycle death tolls from this weekend in the Chicago area alone is a harsh reminder to motorcyclists and other vehicle drivers that it is up to both parties to share the roads safely by driving safely.

In Calumet City, motorcyclist Martez Nile died when in a single-vehicle crash on Crandon Road and Dalton Avenue this weekend. While in Elburn, a St. Charles husband and wife, Wade and Denise Thomas, were killed in a deadly Illinois multi-vehicle crash involving six motorcycles and three motor vehicles. In a third deadly Chicago-area motorcycle accident, riders Sean Darke, Brianna Moore, and Michael Adams died when another rider made an illegal U-turn, riding head-on into the victims? motorcycles.

As part of the state?s Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, Illinois State Police, Governor Pat Quinn, the Illinois Department of Transportation, and motorcycle safety advocates want the public to ?Start Seeing Motorcycles? on the roads. The IDOT is also offering beginner and intermediate riders free rider courses.

The Illinois State Police is offering new riders a number of safety tips, including:

? Wear an approved helmet and protective clothing.
? Don?t ride above 80% of your riding capabilities.
? Be on the lookout for animals on the road.
? Be aware of your surrounding and the vehicles around you.
? Look around to make sure other vehicles aren't approaching before riding through an intersection.
? Don?t drive drunk.

Just as motorcyclists have to ride responsibly and refrain from going too fast so that they don't place their lives and the lives of others at risk, motor vehicle drivers, whose occupants tend to have the greater safety advantage during accidents with motorcycles, must also take the proper steps so that they don?t get involved in an Illinois motor vehicle accident with a motorcycle rider.

Holiday motorcycle accidents kill six in Chicago area, WGN, May 25, 2009

Motorcycle Enthusiasts Urge Drivers To Be Careful, CBS2Chicago.com, May 24, 2009

Advocates push ?Start Seeing Motorcycles? Campaign; IDOT Unveils New Public Service Announcement, Illinois State Police, April 28, 2009

Related Web Resources:
NHTSA

Illinois Department of Transportation

Full post as published by Chicago Injury Attorney Blog on May 26, 2009 (boomark / email).