When commuting to work on a regular basis, the mode of transportation used can increase the possibility of traffic accidents and personal injuries.
Accident Risks from Commuting to Work
Commuting to work creates a less stressful daily transportation experience for many people, but it may also increase the chance of a serious traffic accident. In Chicago and other large cities across the country, millions of people choose to commute rather than drive to and from their jobs each day, assuming that commuting is a safer way to travel.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation, accident statistics show that commuting accidents occur more frequently than most people realize. Since 1960, The Bureau of Transportation has kept records on different types of fatalities that occur throughout the national transit grid. Reports for 2017 show 37,133 traffic deaths by various modes of transportation:
- 13,363 deaths for divers or occupants in passenger cars
- 10,188 deaths for occupants in pickups and light trucks
- 5,977 deaths for pedestrians
- 5,172 deaths for motorcyclists
- 783 deaths for bicyclists
- 44 deaths for bus passengers
As the above data shows, commuting to work in a motor vehicle each day is the most dangerous mode of travel for commuters. Although deaths for drivers and/or occupants in motor vehicles don’t give statistics on travel times, the Bureau of Transportation does suggest greater accidents risks for workers who work weekends and graveyard shifts. While driving poses significant dangers to commuters, commuting by modes of public transportation such as ferryboat, commuter rail, and bus present very low risks of accidents and injuries.
Large cities like Chicago have taken many initiatives to lower commuter accidents for residents who choose to commute to work on a regular basis. Chicago’s Vision Zero Initiative has designated certain parts of the city, as well as specific communities and traffic zones as High Crash Areas and High Crash Corridors that experience a disproportionately high number of severe traffic accidents each year. Chicago car accidents lawyers often see more serious car crashes in these designated areas.
Most of these areas are noted to have specific infrastructural deficits, poor road and transit designs, and lack of protection for cyclists and pedestrians. Chicago is enhancing safety for city commuters by adding more traffic signals, lowering speed limits, creating dashed bicycle lanes, and building barriers to protect pedestrians from moving vehicles. City transportation officials urge all Chicago commuters to take proper safety precautions to prevent traffic accidents and injuries.
