Semi Truck Accidents

The Wisconsin State Patrol announced yesterday that more motorists than ever before are wearing seat belts.

According to the State Patrol, seat belt use increased by 6 percent to 79% in the latest survey.

That means four out of five drivers and passengers are taking the simple step of strapping on a seat belt. The higher compliance will save lives, misery and health care costs.

Despite the increase of seat belt use, Wisconsin is still below the national average for buckling up.

Neighboring states have much higher usage rates. Michigan has the highest seat-belt compliance rate in the nation at 98 percent. Iowa is at 93 percent, Illinois at 91 percent, and Minnesota at 90 percent.

The Wisconsin State Journal identified the worst intersection in the city today.

The worst intersection for crashes in Madison in 2009 was West Badger Road and South Park Street with 18 incidents, city traffic officials reported Monday.

The second most dangerous intersection was Commercial Avenue and North Thompson Drive, followed by a three-way tie: South Midvale Boulevard and Mineral Point Road, Portage and Thierer roads and South Blair Street and John Nolen Drive.

City Traffic Engineer David Dryer said each crash was mapped and diagrammed using global positioning software.

Wisconsin will join six other states in a weekend crackdown on impaired driving on Interstate 94.

The I-94 Corridor Traffic Enforcement Project will begin on Friday evening and end early Saturday morning. The project involves local, county and state police from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota and Wisconsin.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 491 people died in traffic-related deaths over the 4th of July weekend in 2008. Forty-three percent of those deaths involved a driver or motorcyclist with a blood alcohol percentage of at least 0.08%.

Pitman, Kyle & Sicula is a Wisconsin personal injury law firm handling car accident cases throughout the state.  Our Wisconsin injury attorneys have successfully represented injured people in almost every county. We know Wisconsin.

Using federal funding for overtime enforcement, sheriff’s deputies and state troopers will be cracking down on speeding on heavily traveled highways in Wisconsin through September.

Although seat belt usage is at a record 84% nationwide, 45 million Americans are still not buckling their seat belts when riding in vehicles.

Seat belt use has climbed since 1993 when the Click It or Ticket campaign was implemented after officials

So, who isn’t wearing their seatbelt? According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration:

• Teens – 70% of the passenger vehicle occupants 13 to 15 years old killed in traffic crashes were not buckled up – the highest of all age groups.
• When comparing occupants 21 and older in fatal motor vehicle crashes, the age groups least likely to wear their seat belts are 21-to 24-year-olds and 25- to 34-year-olds who were killed in crashes from 2004-2008, 65% were not belted.
• Men – Especially young men.  Sixty percent of male passenger vehicle occupant fatalities were unrestrained, compared to 45% for females.
• Pickup Drivers and Passengers – 68% of pickup truck occupants who were killed in traffic crashes were not buckled up.
• Nighttime Drivers – 64% of the 12,671 passenger vehicle occupants who died in crashes between 6pm and 6am were not wearing seat belts.
• Rural Areas – 56% of fatally injured passenger vehicle occupants in rural areas were unrestrained, while 52% of those killed in urban areas were unrestrained.

*Information was taken from NHTSA website.

Pitman, Kyle, Sicula & Dentice is a Wisconsin personal injury law firm handling car accident cases throughout the state.  Our Wisconsin injury attorneys have successfully represented injured people in almost every county. We know Wisconsin.

This was posted on the Wisconsin State Journal’s website today…

Tell us about Madison’s dangerous intersections

Whether or not you agree with the decision by city officials to place bike boxes where Williamson Street, John Nolen Drive, and Blair Street meet, you probably think that’s one challenging intersection: for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers alike.

What are Madison’s other dangerous intersections? Nominate your notorious crossings in an e-mail to mpitsch@madison.com. They don’t have to be the busiest intersections or those where the most accidents take place, but they have to be challenging. So let us know why you think the intersection is a tough one. We’ll collect your thoughts to help us shape a future story.

The Dane County Sheriff’s Department is looking for individuals who may have witnessed a fatal accident Tuesday night. A person was fatally injured in Dane County when a semi collided with a car.

According to the Dane County’ Sheriff’s Department, the crash occurred in the northbound lane of U.S. Highway 51 near Token Creek Lane. The victim has been identified as 51-year-old Kathy Endsley.

The sheriff’s department is asking anyone who witnessed the crash to call its Tipster Hotline, (608) 284-6900.

A semi and a car got into a crash at the corner of U.S. Highway 45 and Highway G early Monday morning.

At least one person has suffered injuries in a crash on the busy Racine highway which shut down the intersection.

Authorities say there are some injuries, though they do not know the extent of them.

Pitman, Kyle & Sicula is a Wisconsin personal injury law firm handling car accident cases throughout the state.  Our Wisconsin injury attorneys have successfully represented injured people in almost every county. We know Wisconsin.

A 27-year-old New Holstein woman suffered possible back and head injuries after her car was struck by a semitrailer last night.

The Calumet County Sheriff’s Department said the car was stopped at an intersection when it was struck from behind by the semitrailer. Authorities say the accident was not weather related.

The woman was taken to Theda Clark Medical Center in Neenah.

Pitman, Kyle & Sicula is a Wisconsin personal injury law firm handling truck accident cases throughout the state.  Our Wisconsin injury attorneys have successfully represented injured people in almost every county. We know Wisconsin.