A bill, which takes effect July 1, will refer to traffic incidents as "crashes" instead of "accidents." | Rhonda Jenkins/Pixabay
A bill, which takes effect July 1, will refer to traffic incidents as "crashes" instead of "accidents." | Rhonda Jenkins/Pixabay
A bill sponsored by State Rep. Tom Weber (R-Lake Villa) to change the word "accident" to "crash" in state law when referring to traffic incidents gained bipartisan support and will take effect July 1.
"Honored to have shepherded this bill through the General Assembly this session," Weber said on Facebook.
Weber's legislation, HB 5496, will replace the word "accident" with the word "crash" in vehicular state laws and publications. A release from Weber's office notes that "the National Transportation Safety Board, 28 other states and New York City have already made similar changes in their laws and regulations to stop referring to traffic crashes as mere accidents."
Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the Active Transportation Alliance support the legislation.
“Most, if not all, motor vehicle collisions are avoidable. Many are the result of reckless driving, drinking and driving or distracted driving,” Weber said.
When the bill advanced to the Senate, Weber said referring to certain incidents in state law as “accidents” is offensive to the many families who have lost loved ones throughout the state.
Sheila Lockwood, a McHenry mom whose 23-year-old son was killed by a drunk driver in 2018, reached out to Weber with the idea for this legislation, CBS Chicago reported.
"When somebody does refer to it as an 'accident' it is hurtful as a victim, because it is almost like it dismisses it as 'Oh it's not that big of a deal it's an accident,'" Lockwood told the station.
According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, there were 312,988 motor vehicle crashes in 2019, 938 of which were fatal.
The Chicago Tribune reported that in 2020, 1,166 Illinoisans died in car crashes.
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