The majority of fatalities caused by a semi-truck accident are others in passenger vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists. In 2017, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, a total of 4,102 people died as a result of a truck accident. Almost 70 percent of those deaths were passengers or drivers in cars.

Since 2009, the number of passenger deaths caused by truck accidents has increased by 30 percent. However, 2009 also had the lowest amount of passenger deaths since 1975. The 2000s brought a steady decrease in fatalities, until 2010, when the number of deaths began increasing again.  

Factors in Truck Accidents

There is much more into putting a semi-truck on the road than a passenger vehicle. Some of the most common reasons for truck accidents are equipment failure, poor vehicle maintenance, and the improper loading of cargo. Driver error, negligence, and poor weather conditions are also top reasons for accidents involving a semi-truck. Truck drivers can be pressured to be as productive as possible, thus skipping necessary rest. Here are some examples where a truck driver, or company, was found liable for an accident.

Every teenager looks forward to the day they can have the independence of driving. Teenagers as young as fifteen can begin learning how to drive. Once the learning requirements are met, and the child reaches sixteen years old, they can test for an initial license. This license has restrictions like the number of passengers, and more strict mobile device usage while being the wheel. With up to thirty percent of motor vehicle accident costs are attested to teenagers and young adults, there is a chance you may get into an accident with someone driving as young as sixteen years old.

Getting A Driver's License

Anyone who operates a vehicle legally had to work to get a driver’s license. After obtaining a learner’s permit, the teenager must practice driving with a licensed adult for fifty hours. Ten of those hours must be done at night. Once the minimum of driving hours has been reached, and the permit has been active for at least nine months, a sixteen-year-old may receive an initial drivers license. A full license can be applied for between the ages of eighteen and twenty.

When a teen driver gets into a car accident, they are usually covered by their parent’s car insurance. In Illinois, the minimum liability insurance coverage for car accidents is $25,000 for bodily injuries per person, $50,000 total for bodily injuries per accident, and $20,000 for property damage. When adding a teen driver, some parents may increase their insurance above the minimum.

Kane County is no stranger to cold and snowy winters. During the second week of February of this year, St. Charles received over 14 inches of snow over a span of four days. Shoveling the driveway and sidewalk is hard enough, but what happens when you need to operate a vehicle during the harsh Midwest winter?

Statistics

Every year, approximately 900 people are killed in an auto accident during winter precipitation, and 1,300 are killed because of pre-existing road conditions such as snow, ice, or slush. Thousands more are injured, despite almost 75 percent of the United States regularly experiencing winter weather.

In an act of preparing for the harsh winter ahead, here are some tips for keeping safe on the roads, despite unfavorable conditions:

We have truck drivers to thank for providing goods and services across the county. However, these massive vehicles are one of the most dangerous on the road, weighing up to 80,000 pounds. Any accident on the road can be deadly, but when an 18-wheeler is involved, catastrophic personal injury can occur. Driver fatigue is often blamed for accidents involving trucks, but overworking is not always the cause of a truck accident.

What Are Truck Driver Labor Laws?

In the United States, truck drivers must keep a 24-hour logbook while on duty. Commercial motor drivers can only work 11 cumulative hours within a 14 hour period. Drivers are then required to rest for a minimum of ten hours. A recent mandate has made electronic onboard recorders mandatory, which record the actual driving time of a truck.

Anyone would be tired after an 11 hour work day, but there are a list of other factors that could contribute to a truck accident.

On the road, cyclists must abide by many of the same rules as drivers in Illinois. That being said, an accident with a bicycle should be handled similarly to that as an accident with another motor vehicle. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the majority of car accidents involving a bicycle happen in non-intersectional areas of the road in urban areas.

Bicycle Specific Road Laws

• Designated bike lanes are for bicyclists only. Cars are prohibited from parking, driving, or idling in these spaces, even when there are no bikes in the lane. Bicyclists are allowed to leave the bike lane and bike on the road, but for safety reasons, it is discouraged for cyclists to do so;
• Bicyclists are prohibited on most expressways and highways, and any other marked road;
• The right of way is granted to bicyclists the same as a motor vehicles;
• Criminal charged may be filed if a motorists passes too close to a cyclist and the result is a crash.

An accident with a bicyclist may be more intimidating than with another vehicle. People on bicycles have little protection on the road, even with a helmet. In Illinois, adult riders can choose whether to wear a helmet or not.

What to do?

An accident with a vehicle can be deadly to a bicyclist, and any accident, no matter how small, can be jarring. It is important to stay calm and act promptly. Take a moment to react, but no matter what, do not drive away.