If you were to initiate an Internet news search for Illinois or Chicago wrong-way motor vehicle accidents, you would receive a shocking number of search results. Wrong-way crashes are considered rare on the national level, but they still happen quite often.

Despite large attempts to identify methods to prevent wrong-way crashes, researchers have yet to find an overall effective deterrent. What we all know about these accidents is that they are dangerous and often result in fatalities or at the very least severe injuries. Below you will find some conclusions provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

— Over 60 percent of wrong-way motor vehicle accidents involve alcohol impairment.

— The methods available to stop a wrong-way driver present a significant degree of risk to other motorists and law enforcement personnel.

— Older motorists are often involved in wrong-way motor vehicle accidents.

— Most wrong-way accidents happen at night and on the weekends.

— Most wrong-way collisions occur in the traffic lane nearest the median.

— The role drug impairment may play in wrong-way accidents is not yet known.

There is a lot to learn about why these accidents continue to occur and, more importantly, how to prevent drivers from traveling the wrong way on our roads. To those who have already been victimized by a wrong-way driver, these are important public safety issues that need ongoing study. We hope the local and federal governments continue to address these issues in order to make our roadways safer.

Victims have a limited array of tools to use against wrong-way drivers, but it is possible to find a legal remedy that speaks to the victim’s financial needs while penalizing the responsible parties. We urge you to visit our website to learn more about motor vehicle accident remedies for injured victims in Chicago.