Stay in Your Vehicle During An Accident or Stall, It Could Save Your Life
It’s a nightmare that can confront any driver: Your car is damaged in a crash or stalls, leaving you stranded in traffic on a high speed roadway.
A driver’s first instinct might be to step out of the stopped car and dodge oncoming vehicles to head for the shoulder or median.
But trying to cross lanes of high-speed traffic on foot only makes a bad situation worse, Illinois State Police and Illinois Tollway officials said.
Instead, if your car can’t be moved out of traffic, activate your hazard lights, dial *999 for emergency assistance and stay safe inside your car.
Then wait for help to arrive—on the Illinois Tollway it won’t take long.
“Safety is our highest priority and we do whatever is necessary to protect our customers,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director José Alvarez. “Tollway crews and Illinois State Police patrol our system around the clock to assist and safeguard stranded drivers as quickly as possible. Drivers can help us keep them safe by staying inside their vehicle if it stalls in an active traffic lane or if they’re involved in a minor accident and can’t move their vehicle to the shoulder. Traffic moves rapidly on our roads and it’s hard for a stranded driver to determine if there’s time to cross a lane, or two lanes, to reach the shoulder.”
Tollway H.E.L.P. trucks assigned specifically to assist disabled or stranded drivers patrol the 294-mile system from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday. Tollway maintenances crews operate 24 hours a day on the road and also will aid drivers.
Illinois State Police District 15 troopers protect and assist drivers 24/7 on the Tollway system. Troopers can be reached in an emergency situation by calling 911 or dialing *999,
But safety starts with the drivers who use the Tollway and depends on the precautions they take.
So to stay safe, stay in your car.