The high risk of a serious or deadly motor vehicle accident on the roadways of Indiana and Illinois can be attributed to several factors, not the least of which is the condition of our bridges, highways, rural routes, and other vehicle infrastructure. For details, read our earlier discussion in Deadly Roads and Bridges: Dangerous Infrastructure in Indiana and Illinois.
State and Federal Focus on Infrastructure Legislation
The problem has already become a focal point of the Governors of both Indiana and Illinois. This week, the federal government has joined in the effort to repair, maintain, and expand our transportation routes with the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (“IIJA”) which President Biden is expected to sign into law within a matter of days.
As explained by the November 6, 2021 White House Fact Sheet, this “… once-in-a-generation investment in our nation’s infrastructure and competitiveness… ” will “… rebuild America’s roads, bridges and rails,” among other things.
The 2021 Federal Infrastructure Act: White House Overview
Specifically, according to the White House overview, the IIJA will address the problem of “… 1 in 5 miles of highways and major roads, and 45,000 bridges, [that] are in poor condition.” Billions of dollars in federal funding will be provided for repair and for major transportation projects across the country; bridges are of particular concern in the new federal focus.
The IIJA also provides for the new “Safe Streets and Roads for All Program” to combat the rising trend in deadly motor vehicle accidents in this country.
Additionally, the IIJA will work to update and expand public transit infrastructure with “the largest Federal investment in public transit in history” as older buses, rail cars, and railroad tracks will be renovated and replaced. Ports, waterways, and airports will also see changes and upgrades to their infrastructure as the country’s supply chains are strengthened with “[m]odern, resilient, and sustainable port, airport, and freight infrastructure …. removing bottlenecks and expediting commerce and reduce the environmental impact on neighboring communities.”
Rail funding of $66 Billion will be used in the “… largest investment in passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak,” ending the Amtrak maintenance backlog, modernizing the Northeast Corridor, and bring world-class rail service to Indiana, Illinois, and the remainder of the country that is “outside the northeast and mid-Atlantic,” in order to “…create safe, efficient, and climate-friendly alternatives for moving people and freight.”
Therefore, in addition to its many other provisions that deal with things like updating our country’s power grid, the IIJA will change our bridges, roads, highways, rails, ports, waterways, buses, trains, airports, and other freight transportation paths to better serve the drivers, passengers, and occupants, of vehicles on these routes as well as making the movement of cargo and freight more efficient and expedient.
Specific Deadly Accident Risks Targeted by the IIJA
Moreover, the safety advocates at the Center for Auto Safety point out the following regarding the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 that specifically deal with the danger of deadly motor vehicle accidents in this country, where traffic fatalities remain the leading cause of death for Americans who are 25 years old or younger:
- The IIJA requires the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to create a federal rule mandating passive impaired driving prevention technology on all new vehicles;
- The NHTSA is also required to begin addressing the decades-old problem of dangerous seatbacks in motor vehicles that endanger the lives of rear-seat occupants as well as those setting in the flawed front seats;
- Heavy trucks are to have automatic emergency braking (AEB) but medium-sized commercial trucks are not included in the legislation;
- The IIJA mandates an automatic shutoff feature be placed in motor vehicles with a keyless ignition to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning;
- Changes are made for both hood and bumper standards to make motor vehicles safer in the event of an accident; and
- Updated rear underride guards are required on heavy trucks to combat the danger of fatal crashes where smaller vehicles rear-end the higher, heavier vehicle on the road, but no side underride guard is required under the new law.
The IIJA does more than provide funding for the modernization of our roads, bridges, ports, and waterways. It also includes specific laws that address known dangers facing those on the roads of Indiana and Illinois.
The Dangers of Fatal Accidents on Indiana and Illinois Roadways
The condition of the vehicle, the driver, and the roadway can all contribute to a serious or deadly semi-truck crash or fatal motor vehicle accident here in Indiana and Illinois. The implementation of the IIJA will serve to make our loved ones safer from catastrophic injuries or death in a traffic collision. We have discussed several dangers that the new federal act seeks to address, see:
- Developments in Fight against Drugged Driving Accidents
- Inspector General Investigates NHTSA’s Enforcement of Federal Car Crash Safety Standards
- Will Mandating Automatic Emergency Braking Systems in Semi-Trucks Reduce the Danger of Rear-End Truck Crashes?
- Pickup Truck Rear-Ends Big Rig, Killing Indiana Man: Proving Study of Easy Fix Should Be Implemented
- Fatal Truck Crashes: Will Congress Pass the Stop Underrides Act?
However, each crash is unique and must be independently investigated for the reasons someone was severely injured or killed in the accident. State laws provide avenues for justice based upon negligence, negligent hiring, negligent supervision, defective products, product liability, wrongful death, and worker’s compensation.
For more, read:
- Employer Liability for Distracted Driving Accidents in Indiana or Illinois
- When Trucking Companies and Truckers are Legally Deemed an Imminent Hazard to the Public Safety
- Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents on the Job: Four Types of Workers Facing Highest Risk of Deadly Work Crash
- Uber or Lyft Crashes: Liability in Ridesharing Accidents
- Unrepaired Recalls in 25% of the Cars on Our Roads Today: Legal Duty of Manufacturer versus Owner of the Vehicle in a Fatal Car Crash.
The roads of Indiana and Illinois are dangerous today and those on our roadways face a significant risk of injury or death in a truck crash or motor vehicle accident. The new federal infrastructure legislation brings a welcomed safety focus to these risks. Please be careful out there!
