Springfield Legal Blog

No matter how cautious and alert of a driver you are, you never can tell if a negligent or reckless motorist is going to interrupt your travel plans and turn an otherwise uneventful trip into a tragedy. You can adhere to every Illinois traffic law in the books; however, all it takes is one other driver to send a text behind the wheel or consume alcohol before driving to damage your vehicle and your health.

Concerning car accident injuries, your symptoms may not always be immediately apparent. It is a good idea to seek immediate medical attention in the aftermath of a collision, even if you think you are feeling okay. You'll also want to pay close attention to how you feel in the days and weeks that follow because not suffering life-threatening injuries upon impact in a crash doesn't necessarily mean you are injury-free.

It is almost impossible to drive down the interstate without sharing the road with at least one big rig. At the Law Office of Kerley & Associates, we are aware of the many ways Illinois residents can become tragic statistics in collisions involving large trucks, and we seek to help you and others avoid this outcome whenever possible. You may want to be aware of the hazards of truck rollover accidents.

As you may know, rolling any type of vehicle can be dangerous, but semi-truck rollovers are especially devastating, due to a truck’s large size and the speed at which it can go on the freeway. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, most truck rollovers – approximately 78 percent, in fact – involve a driver error that could have been avoided. These may include rollovers that occur when a truck driver takes a turn too tight or is driving too fast for weather and road conditions. Truck drivers are often fatigued and some drive while intoxicated or distracted, which can further increase the risk of rolling or crashing. A truck can also roll if its cargo has been improperly loaded or secured, or if the brakes or tires have not been kept in good repair.

As people become more aware of the dangers involved in distracted driving, cellphone and vehicle manufacturers look for ways to lessen the amount of distraction drivers’ experience while on the road. Voice-activated technology is designed to perform certain tasks when drivers speak commands. For example, a car equipped with voice-activated technology would allow people to call a contact, navigate the radio and even compose a text all while driving. A study released by AAA found that even though voice-activated technology reduces the amount of cognitive distraction caused by cellphone use, it still creates a significant amount of distraction, which may lead to a devastating car accident.

The study looked at different voice-activated technologies implemented in various vehicles and how they affected a driver’s mental workload as they performed a host of tasks. Drivers were asked to initiate voice commands, such as dialing a contact, changing the radio station and changing a CD, as well as listen to email and text messages, compose replies to email and text messages and use Siri to update social media statuses, send text messages, listen to text messages and make calendar appointments. While some systems had computerized voices used in the technology, others had more natural voices. Researchers measured driver reaction time, heart rate and mental workload while they performed the tasks.

During the winter months in Illinois, it's definitely possible that the road conditions could become treacherous. Anyone who has lived here for a winter knows that icy roads are always possible.

Icy roads are only present for a few months each year, so you may not be as familiar with how to drive under these conditions. Knowing how could save your life and the lives of those around you.