Drivers are often reminded to pay attention while driving to reduce the possibility of traffic accidents. When drivers are distracted, they are more likely to cause accidents resulting in injuries to other drivers, passengers, and pedestrians. Pedestrians are especially more vulnerable when involved in a car accident, and are one and a half times more likely to be killed in a car accident than a passenger. While thousands of pedestrians die each year nationwide, hundreds of thousands more suffer injuries that require serious medical attention as a result of car accidents. The elderly and children, as well as intoxicated and distracted pedestrians, are most likely to be involved in a car accident.

Pedestrians have rights and obligations under Illinois law just as drivers do. Pedestrians crossing a road at a clearly marked crosswalk when the light allows crossing generally have the right of way. Drivers who wish to enter the intersection must stop and wait until all pedestrians have crossed before proceeding. However, pedestrians crossing when the pedestrian lights are red, or running across at the last second can expect cars to be moving and may be injured as a result.

If a pedestrian is involved in a car accident, his behavior can become the focus of the subsequent negotiations with the driver's insurance company. If a pedestrian was on the phone, reading a book, or engaged in any behavior that would have distracted them from crossing the street safely can be used against the pedestrian to reduce the compensation they seek. In Illinois, a person whose actions contributed to causing the accident by more than 50 percent cannot recover damages for any injuries suffered as a result. A pedestrian who is less than 50 percent at fault for the accident may still recover for injuries; however, any amount awarded is reduced by the percentage of fault attributed to them.

May has been declared Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Month in Illinois, in order to bring needed attention to the dangers motorcyclists face on the roads. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, 2015 saw an increase in motorcycle-related car accidents by about 24 percent. Overall, on average, motorcycle accidents account for about 15 percent of traffic accidents annually.

When sharing the road with motorcycles, drivers should take care to avoid serious or fatal traffic accidents with motorcyclists. Motorcycles can be difficult to see when drivers are distracted and not paying attention for them. However, there are tips and precautions that drivers can take in order to avoid accidents with motorcyclists. Drivers should remember that motorcycles may appear further away when viewed in vehicle mirrors because of the motorcycles' sizes. This may cause a driver who cannot gauge how closely a motorcycle is traveling to be involved in an accident. Drivers should find ways to better judge the distance between them and a motorcycle, for example by counting the time it takes the motorcycle to pass a standing object.

Drivers should also routinely check their blind spots before changing lanes or making other traffic maneuvers. This would also help avoid accidents with other cars in the blind spots. Relying solely on side mirrors to check the blind spots can cause a driver to fail to spot a hidden motorcyclist. If safe to do so, it is best for the driver to turn his head to check the blind spot.

Although having auto insurance is mandatory in Illinois, not every driver on the road abides by the law. A driver who is injured or suffered property damage in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver can find himself or herself in trouble unless properly protected through his or her own insurance. Although the injured driver may not be able to recover directly from the uninsured or underinsured driver, he or she does not have to bear the cost of the loss of the accident.

Most insurance carriers offer auto insurance policies that cover drivers for accidents with uninsured or underinsured drivers. A driver can be underinsured if he or she carries minimum coverage on the vehicle and the coverage does not meet the damages or injuries caused. Illinois law requires drivers to be insured at the following minimums:

• $25,000 for injury or death of one person in an accident;
• $50,000 for injury or death of more than one person in an accident; and
• $20,000 for damage to property of another person.

Therefore, it is advisable for a driver to carry uninsured and underinsured motorist insurance coverage.

Texting and driving is a practice that has been responsible for numerous accidents across the United States, some of which have included fatalities. According to the United States Department of Transportation, a driver using a hand-held device while driving is four times more likely to get in a car accident.

When traveling at certain speeds, the time it takes to read a text can take the average driver's eyes off the road for the length of a football field. This is why texting while driving causes so many accidents—texting and driving is distracted driving and can be just a dangerous as drunk driving.

Illinois Law on Using Cell Phones While Driving 

Waiting to seek medical attention following a car accident can be disadvantageous for several reasons. Sometimes if an accident is considered a minor accident by a driver, he or she may delay or not worry about seeking medical attention. For example, injuries are sometimes ignored after an accident because there are no immediate symptoms. However, even when medical injuries do not manifest immediately, they may do so later on and cost the injured a lot of money in medical care.

In addition to the obvious medical disadvantages of not seeing a doctor immediately following an accident, there may be negative consequences to a future settlement on the accident with the driver who caused the accident or the driver's insurance company.

Delayed treatment could indicate that the injured driver who later seeks compensation was not really injured in the accident. The driver who caused the accident or the insurance company could claim that the driver should receive less of a settlement because his or her injuries were made worse by their own choice not to seek medical care, or that the injuries were actually caused by something else that happened after the accident. Seeing a doctor as soon as possible can help take away some of the doubt as to the cause of the injuries after the accident.