| Failure To Reduce Speed To Avoid An Accident |
If you have been involved in an accident and rear ended a vehicle in front of you, you will most likely be charged with failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident (625 ILCS 5/11-601(a)). If you are at fault for this type of accident, your guilt is irrelevant in deciding to plead guilty to this offense. If a plea of guilty is entered, this could later be used as an admission of liability if a civil suit arose out of the accident. Since the statute of limitations on a civil suit is two (2) years, it is prudent to ensure that the charge of failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident is dismissed or that a judge finds you guilty after a trial without a plea of guilty.
Never mail in a ticket and plead guilty to the offense failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. If you do, you are most likely subjecting yourself to a permanent conviction on your record and the distinct possibility that your insurance rates will increase. Moreover, upon conviction, you are setting yourself up for a suspension of your driver's license. Unlike other states, Illinois does not work on a point system in determining whether to suspend or revoke your driving privileges. Instead, the Secretary of State simply notes whether you were convicted of an offense or whether you were granted supervision.
In the past, a driver could get supervision multiple times. Currently, a person may be granted supervision on a traffic offense twice in a one year time period. If you are not eligible for supervision, a judge must sentence you to a judgment or conviction. If you are under 21, and you receive two (2) convictions in twenty-four (24) months, your driver's license will be suspended. If you are over 21, and you receive three (3) convictions in a 1 year time period your driver's license will be suspended as well.
If you are in an automobile accident, contact the Law Offices of Steven J. Block & Associates to guide you through the process of protecting your driving record and future.
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