Speeding is a serious problem in the United States and when just one driver decides to drive at excess speeds they put everyone else on the road in danger. While there may be many reasons that you justify speeding, whether it be impatience, being low on time, weaving through heavy traffic, speeding is risky. It is known that the outcomes of accidents involving speed tend to have more severe injuries and higher incidences of death.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were over 9,000 deaths in speeding-related crashes in the year 2018 alone. Speeding is not only perilous it is also against the law to drive faster than the posted limits. If you are pulled over for speeding you may be facing a costly fine, and depending on how far above the speed limit you were driving you could lose your license.
Further, speeding crashes will also impact your wallet. Speeding is considered reckless behavior. Insurance companies will assess you as a risk on the road and will increase your premiums to reflect that.
Speeding Statistics In Illinois
According to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), from 2014 through 2018 there was a 5.8% increase in speed-related crashes over the data from the previous four-year average. The year 2018 had a 3.9% increase in speeding crashes from the numbers recorded in 2017.
Younger adults were the most heavily involved in speed-related fatal crashes. Out of all the fatalities from speeding crashes in 2018, 30.5% were in the age group 21-34. Cook County and Will County reported the most speed-related fatalities in 2018. Cook County had 102 speed-related deaths while Will County had 25. In 2018 Cook County had 27.5% of all the speed-related crash deaths.
After a crash, there is a determination of which parties are at fault. In some accidents, there is one party at-fault, while in others there can be multiple parties held responsible. Determining fault can be difficult. When a crash occurs, insurance companies will try to divert as much blame as possible from their side and claim you are also at-fault. They do this to reduce the amount of money they have to pay in the settlement. When you have an experienced Illinois automobile accident attorney representing you, you will be able to combat these claims effectively. Knowledgeable legal representation provides you with the best chance for obtaining the most amount of compensation possible to help you pay for your damages.
Have You Been In An Illinois Car Accident And Need Legal Representation?
The Alexander J. Smith Law Offices team of Illinois personal injury lawyers will guide you through the personal injury claim process and answer all of your questions along the way. We will take on the insurance companies and aggressively negotiate with them so you obtain a fair settlement.
Call us today to discuss your accident experience during a completely free consultation at (608) 237-7035 for residents of Wisconsin or (815) 243-9686 for residents of Illinois. One of our highly knowledgeable Wisconsin and Illinois personal injury attorneys will help you with your personal injury claim.