Illinois law requires drivers to keep their vehicles road-worthy and in good working condition. As the Secretary of State’s office puts it, “It is illegal to drive a vehicle that may be a hazard to any person or property.”
When drivers fail to live up to their duty to maintain safe vehicles, their negligence makes life more dangerous for everyone else. They may be held liable for any damage and harm that results.
Despite funding, Illinois still gives vehicles a beating
The Illinois state government knows its roads are notoriously tough on cars. Chicago’s streets and expressways just might be the most brutal of all.
The funding and spending changes of “Rebuild Illinois” might help improve things eventually, but the governor signed the $45 billion plan just this past July. For a little while at least, it will only put our cars through even more construction zones.
Jake and Elwood’s bluesmobile aside, no vehicle is immune to the shocks of Chicago’s tough road conditions. Even a brand-new luxury automobile might become dangerous and illegal on its first trip.
Drivers must know their vehicle is roadworthy
Like the captain of a commercial airliner who you may occasionally see out on the tarmac kicking a plane’s tires, every driver has a duty to take reasonable care that they are piloting a safe vehicle. And their duty is not just to themselves and their passengers, but to every driver, passenger or pedestrian they pass along the way.
The law enforcement officers who show up at the scene of a crash should investigate the crash to understand its causes. They also can and should cite a driver if they operated an unsafe vehicle before the crash.
This is especially urgent if the crash resulted in any injuries or even possible injuries that might become clear only after the crash clears and everyone moves on.
Negligence and the duty to operate a safe vehicle
In most cases, drivers know if their vehicle is unsafe due to bad breaks, bald tires, missing mirrors, a broken horn, ancient windshield wipers and a seemingly endless list of other foreseeable problems. Drivers often put off fixing them and gradually become accustomed to their vehicle’s “quirks.”
If the driver does not know, it is sometimes due to a manufacturer’s defect or a repair shop’s negligence.
In any event, thoroughly investigated crashes often turn out to be predictable. They are commonly foreseeable results of failing to use appropriate care when driving or either maintaining, repairing or manufacturing a vehicle.
If you were injured in a motor vehicle accident, please contact The Personal Injury Lawyers ™ at 312-999-9990.
