I don't know if I am imaging things, but it seems that morning and nightly news broadcasts are reporting on more auto accidents, not to mention newspaper stories and internet news sites as well as personal observations when I am driving. But since I am in the business of helping people in auto accidents, it wouldn't be unusual that my radar is more tuned to newsworthy stories involving crashes. But a little research shows that I wasn't imagining things. Auto accidents are up across the United States. Here in Illinois, more than 1300 people died in auto accidents in 2021. That's the highest level since 2005. In the United States, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration(NHTSA) collected data from the first nine months of 2021 and calculated an increase of 12% from 2020. There was a total of 31,720 deaths attributed to auto accidents in 2021. So why the increase? According to the NHTSA distracted driving is the reason. Texting while driving, driving under the influence, speeding and not wearing seatbelts are the main culprits. Anecdotally, what I see driving is people speeding, weaving in between cars, not using their turn signals and driving too fast for road conditions. Careless driving affects everyone. Not only can you be an unsuspecting participant in an accident, but everyone suffers when we have to pay more for insurance. Did you know that if you live in a zip code that has many accidents, even if you are a responsible driver, you will experience an increase in your insurance.
Fortunately, many people involved in an auto accident will not die, but many will experience health issues associated with the accident. The most common injuries that I see are, whiplash, headaches, herniated discs in the neck and low back, chest pain, foot/ankle pain. Accidents don't need to be big to sustain an injury. In fact some of the most damage to your body can come from a low impact accident. To be a responsible driver always wear your seatbelt. It's simple to use. It saves lives. Go the speed limit, reduce your speed in bad weather, use your turn signal, don't be distracted when driving.
If you have been in an auto accident and are experiencing headaches, low back pain, neck pain, jaw pain, shoulder and chest pain, numbness and tingling in your arms or legs and live in the Chicagoland area like, Elmhurst, Villa Park, Lombard, Stone Park, Bellwood, Berkeley, Hillside, Hinsdale, Melrose Park, Northlake, Bensenville and Westchester, call Auto Accident Pain Relief Center of Illinois 24/7 at 800-862-5914 to schedule your appointment.
