Motorcycle Accidents Caused by Distracted Drivers in Chicago
Motorcyclists are vulnerable enough to collisions with drivers when they are paying attention to the road, but when drivers allow themselves to be distracted by their phones and other distractions inside and outside of their vehicles, motorcyclists end up paying with accidents, injuries and even their lives.
As the weather warms up in the summer, more people are out on the roads on their motorcycles. Drivers should remember that motorcycles have a lot less visibility on the road than other motor vehicles, but if you are looking out for them, if they are there you will see them. Part of the problem is that drivers are not looking out for motorcyclists, they are scrolling through their emails or social media feeds as they halfway pay attention to the road while driving.
Illinois’ ban on the use of hand-held devices while driving has been in effect since January 2014. If you must speak on the phone while driving, speakerphones, Bluetooth and headsets are permitted. There are additional enhancements for using hand-held device while driving in a school zone, highway construction zone and if you are a novice driver. Texting while behind the wheel is also prohibited in Illinois. The fine for violating the hand-held mobile phone law starts at $75.
The National Highway Transportations Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that more than 3,477 people needlessly lost their lives in 2015 because of a distracted driver, and more than 391,000 people suffer injuries in distracted driving crashes. It might come as a surprise to some drivers that it is not possible to split your attention between two things. To read the screen of your phone, or reach over to grab more French fries, you must withdraw your attention from the task of driving. Although you think it happens for only a second or two, as the now familiar analogy states, it takes only five seconds to travel the length of a football field if you are driving 55 mph.
The good news about distracted driving is that it is a simple problem to fix. Just put your phone away while you are driving. Place it in “drive mode” so you will not hear the notification when a new message appears, and put it in the glove box or in a purse that is out of reach when you are behind the wheel. Give the task of driving your full attention, and watch your blind spots for motorcyclists before you make a turn. Motorcyclists are mothers and fathers and sons and daughters. They have the right to be able to experience the joy and freedom that riding a motorcycle gives them without worrying if this is going to be the ride that ends their life.
Injuries from a motorcycle crash can be devastating. Please call Gainsberg Injury and Accident Lawyers 312-600-9585 or complete our contact form today, to reserve a free consultation. You can discuss how to recover compensation after the injuries you have suffered in a Chicago motorcycle accident with an experienced injury attorney.
Attorney Neal Gainsberg has spent the last 20+ years fighting to protect the rights of the injured in Chicago and throughout Illinois. For dedicated legal help with a personal injury, car accident, or wrongful death matter, contact Gainsberg Injury and Accident Lawyers in Chicago for a free consultation.