Personal Injury Law

Safe driving campaign lauded for reducing Chicago car accidents involving young drivers

By Kris Briggs

For the fourth year, Illinois State Police in partnership with a host of corporate sponsors, including the Allstate Foundation, Ford Motor Company and the Illinois State Board of Education, join together to kick off the Operation Teen Safe Driving campaign.

With nearly 640,000 licensed drivers aged 15-19 on Illinois roadways, the Illinois Department of Transportation reported that Operation Teen Safe Driving aims to continue to reduce the number of teen-involved car accidents in Chicago and throughout the state with educational outreach efforts that include peer-to-peer based programs and awareness campaigns targeting seat-belt use and distracted and impaired driving.

?In 2008, teens formed the largest proportion of distracted drivers in fatal crashes,? said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. ?Texting and talking on cell phones may feel like second nature to a tech-savvy generation, but the truth is, no one can talk or text while driving safely. I commend these young leaders and Operation Teen Safe Driving for helping to keep teens drivers safe.?

A 2008 IDOT report shows that about 67,200 Illinois drivers aged 15-19 were involved accidents on state roads, leaving 12,806 injured and 106 dead. Among 16-19 year old drivers, there were 93 fatalities, 60 of which involved alcohol.

In fact, teenagers nationwide are involved in three times as many fatal crashes than all other drivers. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for American teenagers. For teens involved in a serious or fatal car accident, speaking with an Illinois injury attorney can help them and their families better understand their rights.

Inexperience and an immature prefrontal cortex ? the part of the brain responsible for controlling impulses, recognizing consequences and setting priorities ? paired with a penchant for distracted driving, are major contributors to crashes involving teens. Distractions can be visual, manual or cognitive and can cause a crash in two seconds, the time it takes to dig for or answer a ringing cell phone.

Texting while driving, although banned in Illinois, is a particularly dangerous and potentially deadly habit. A 2008 DOT survey shows that nationwide 1-in-10 drivers are in the habit of using some a hand-held or hands-free electronic device while driving and women were more likely to use a cell phone while driving than men.

The survey also found that the under-20 age group represented the highest number (16 percent) of distracted drivers involved in fatal crashes.

For more information about Operation Teen Safe Driving and to access online applications to participate in the effort, go to www.teensafedrivingillinois.org

Full post as published by Illinois Injury Law Blog on August 25, 2010 (boomark / email).