Many Chicago Crash Reports Contain Errors

 Posted on April 30, 2012 in Criminal Defense

A 2008 study done by the Illinois Department of Transportation indicated that more than 70% of the Chicago Police Department’s crash reports were missing relevant information, and more than a quarter of them contained blatant errors. This results in wildly inaccurate data being generated by the Chicago PD. For instance, in 2006 (the year analyzed in the 2008 study,) the Chicago Police reported 63 traffic deaths, while Illinois state records indicated there were 176 traffic deaths in Chicago.

According to a Chicago Tribune article, state records indicate that Chicago’s traffic crash data has been far from accurate for quite some time. Chicago officials are attempting to improve the accuracy of these crash reports by better training police officers and clerical workers, transitioning to an easier-to-use accident form, and improving their analysis of the information received.

Those who have been issued a citation following an auto accident in Chicago may assume that anything listed in the relevant police report is an indisputable fact. However, that’s not always the case. In fact, Illinois judges commonly dismiss citations that contain major errors. Even if the error is relatively insignificant, the fact that it exists at all can make the judge question the police officer’s accuracy in reporting the most relevant details of the crash.

If you’ve been ticketed for reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, running a stop sign, or another citation, contact a Chicago traffic violation defense lawyer. The traffic ticket defense attorneys at The Law Offices of Kathryn L. Harry & Associates, P.C. can fight for your citation to be dropped or reduced.