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The Illinois State Police has reported that about 32 percent of all fatal crashes are caused due to speeding.

There has been an alarming increase in the number of vehicles driving at speeds higher than 65mph. This has resulted in a significantly higher number of fatalities due to high impact crashes. In this post, Chicago car accident lawyer will discuss the dangers of speeding accidents on tollways.

Statistics

The statistics in the report revealed that the risks are higher on the tollways. Speeding, especially during rush-hour traffic, increases the risks of crashes and resultant injuries that are often fatal. According to a Chicago Tribune report, only one in 20 people follow the 55 mph speed limit on tollways, and that the average speed of drivers on the tollways is within the mid-70’s range.

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Considering this, some tollway speed limits have been upped to 70mph, however, disturbing reports have indicated that drivers have resorted to ignoring and pushing these limits further. This disregard for speed limits has been attributed to human psychology.

Setting appropriate speeds

The data reveals that about 91 to 98 percent of drivers drive over speeds of 55mph, the current limit for a number of Illinois tollways. While the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) decides on speed limits for roads, highways and tollways, determining the actual speed is left to special engineers, who have to take into account everything from traffic flow and volume, location of ramps and crash history of each highway. This is a time consuming and cumbersome task and an ongoing process.

Things to remember in case of an accident

Accidents due to over speeding still cause fatal and serious accidents. It is therefore important for everyone to remain vigilant and exercise self-control while driving. Moreover, if one experiences an accident, the following steps should be taken –

  • Check for injuries – The first thing one should do at an accident scene is to look for and assess injuries. Call 911 immediately, if there are any injuries.
  • Contact tollway maintenance facilities – Once injuries are assessed, accident victims should ask a tollway employee to contact a trooper for a crash report.
  • Make way for traffic to move along – if injuries are not serious and the vehicles are drivable, accident witnesses and victims should attempt to move the vehicles to a safe location to ensure smooth flow of traffic.
  • Exchange information – Important information about the other driver, like name, phone number, license number, insurance information, and vehicle information like VIN (Vehicle Identification number), model and make of the car should be taken.
  • Crash Report – It is essential to get a copy of the crash report from the Illinois State Police by submitting a written request. Follow up if the obtaining the crash report is delayed. The information in the report is essential for insurance purposes.
  • Contact an attorney – It is important to contact a Chicago car accident lawyer if there are any injuries or significant damage to property.

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