Travel Safe this Holiday Season

     AAA has estimated that this holiday season over 30% of Americans will travel 50 miles or more to visit friends, family, or simply get away. This means that approximately 96 million people will be traveling by car or plane between December 21, 2013 and January 1, 2014. All those additional travelers mean more dangers, more risks, and of course, more travel headaches. Couple these additional travelers with snow and ice on the roads, and the risk of car accidents and other injuries increases even more.

     If you are traveling this holiday season, here are some tips to keep in mind for safe traveling:

          1. Take your time on the road. Driving too fast for conditions or traffic is a well known cause of many car accidents. In order to ensure that you can arrive on time without having to drive too fast, allow extra time before you leave.

          2. Make sure your car is prepared to travel. This means checking your brake fluids, oil, tire pressure, antifreeze, and all other necessary vehicular aspects before you travel. A few moments spent checking your car can save you a great deal of headaches later on.

         3. Prepare for a breakdown. Bring blankets, water, cell phones, chargers, and a first aid kit with you. In the event that a breakdown does occur, you will want to have all necessary materials with you to keep you safe while you wait for a tow or rescue.

         4. Map out your route before leaving. This removes any last minute decision making about how to get to your destination, and can allow you to focus on the road and other drivers.

         5. Keep focused on what's going on. This works for both driving and flying. By keeping an eye out for black ice, snow, other drivers, other travelers, and on anyone else who may be nearby, you will be able to take necessary steps to ensure the safety of yourself and your fellow travelers.

     Have a happy holiday season, and travel safe!

*This is attorney advertising, and is not intended to be taken as legal advice, nor is it intended to create an attorney-client relationship. Any advice given in the preceding statement is given as general advice and is not intended to be relied upon as legal advice for any specific scenarios. For specific advice, or for answers to your questions, call Eckert & Smestad (312-789-4810) or call a qualified attorney licensed in your jurisdiction.

Winter Comes to Chicago, and Brings Dangerous Driving Conditions

     For most people in the Chicago area, just taking a look outside will make it clear: winter is here. On Sunday, December 8, 2013, Chicago received its first snow of the season. Some predictions stated that Chicago was expected to receive between 1 and 3 inches of snow. Now while that may not seem like a large amount of snow, it can have a major impact on the roads, on travel conditions, and on the safety of motorists and pedestrians alike while traveling.

     It is important to recognize that driving can be hazardous even when the weather is ideal. As of December 8, 2013, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) states that there have been 835 reported fatal car crashes, resulting in 927 fatalities, which is higher than the number of fatalities to date last year (statistics can be found here). When adverse weather conditions, such as snow, sleet, black ice, and rain are added to the mix, the dangers of collisions resulting in injury or fatality increase because the distance required to bring a vehicle to a stop dramatically increase with such weather.

    To best prepare for winter driving conditions, it is important to winterize your car. It is advisable to schedule a maintenance check of your vehicle to check tire pressure, your tires' treads, the battery, belts, hoses, radiators, oil, brakes, etc. It is also advisable to:

          1. Increase the distance between your vehicle and vehicles or objects in front of you;
          2. Decrease the speed at which you are traveling;
          3. Be careful when driving over bridges and overpasses, as they freeze before the main road;
          4. Keep your lights on to increase your visibility;
          5. Keep your windshield and wipers clean:
          6. Use lower gears when driving to increase road traction;
          7. Whenever possible, brake gently as opposed to braking hard; and
          8. Keep supplies in your car in case of an emergency, such as a charged cell phone, blankets, road flares, or a first aid kit.

    Drive carefully this winter, and this holiday season.  Safe driving can help to guarantee more time with your loved ones this holiday season. And as always, if you or someone you know does have an accident, know your rights and find a licensed, competent attorney.

*This is attorney advertising, and is not intended to be taken as legal advice, nor is it intended to create an attorney-client relationship. Any advice given in the preceding statement is given as general advice and is not intended to be relied upon as legal advice for any specific scenarios. For specific advice, or for answers to your questions, call Eckert & Smestad (312-789-4810) or call a qualified attorney licensed in your jurisdiction.

Questions Remain About Cause of Devastating and Deadly Train Crash in New York

     New information regarding the Metra train derailment on Sunday, December 1, 2013 has come to light. According to investigators, the train was traveling at least 82 mph as it approached a curve near the Spuyten Duyvil bridge where the train derailed at approximately 7:22 a.m. The speed limit at the curve was only 30 mph. According to the investigators, the engineer, a 20-year-veteran, had the brakes fully applied for only 5 seconds prior to the derailment.

     According to  the National Transportation Safety Board member, Earl Weener, the throttle of the train was fully engaged only 6 seconds prior to the derailment.  In Weener's opinion, the brakes should have been fully applied earlier. 

     However, investigators have stated that it is unclear at this time whether human error or defective equipment was to blame for the crash. The investigation has yet to uncover whether the brakes failed or whether the engineer simply failed to slow the train down in time. In a statement made shortly after the incident, the train's engineer stated that he attempted to brake before the train hit the curve, but the brakes were not working properly. According to Senator Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., it is too early at this time to make any conclusions about the train's excessive speed at the moment of derailment. 

    Investigators are also looking into whether additional safety measures, which are available to the New York commuter train system, would have helped to prevent this tragic accident. As of approximately 11:30 pm CT on Monday, December 2, 2013, at least 19 injured people remained hospitalized after the derailment.

Information contained within this article can be found here and here. 

*This is attorney advertising, and is not intended to be taken as legal advice, nor is it intended to create an attorney-client relationship. Any advice given in the preceding statement is given as general advice and is not intended to be relied upon as legal advice for any specific scenarios. For specific advice, or for answers to your questions, call Eckert & Smestad (312-789-4810) or call a qualified attorney licensed in your jurisdiction.