Too Little, Too Late with Intersection Accidents

Too little, too late is a common saying, but sometimes it isn’t true. Sometimes it would be proper to say “just enough, too late,” when the authorities do the right thing only after something terrible has happened. A situation in Bloomington, Illinois is the latest example of just enough, too late.

A four way stop was implemented at an intersection that had been long known as dangerous. Residents had begged the city for years, but the city hadn’t listened. The city claimed that city code prevented making changes to the intersection until it could be clearly demonstrated there was a problem. It was only after a motorcyclist was killed by a drunk driver in March, 2015, that the city finally did what it should have done all along.

Dangerous intersections are everywhere, and there are a variety of methods cities can use to make them less dangerous. These methods include:

• Lowering speed limits in the area
• Introducing traffic calming mechanisms, such as islands and curved streets that make it more difficult to maintain high rates of speed
• Introducing stop signs or traffic lights

Of these, stop signs are the cheapest and easiest, and there is no excuse why a city can’t quickly and cost-effectively implement a four way stop in any dangerous intersection. It shouldn’t take a death caused by drunk driver to get these changes made. The city can hide behind the city code all it wants, but it could easily put together a ballot measure to allow changes to be made before someone is killed.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a car, motorcycle, bicycle, or pedestrian accident, determining what caused the accident is important. Sometimes a dangerous intersection is to blame, but sometimes it is negligence on the part of the other driver. Sometimes the other driver was texting, or drinking, or asleep at the wheel. Finding out just what happened is key. To do so, retain an experienced attorney who will know how to ask the right questions to get the answers you deserve.