What HB 4948 Does, Why It Matters, and What It Means for Injured Riders and Walkers in Chicago
On May 20, 2026, the Illinois legislature passed Stop Super Speeders legislation, sending House Bill 4948 to Governor JB Pritzker's desk for signature. The bill, which passed the Senate 49-9 after clearing the House 77-24, lays the groundwork for using Intelligent Speed Assistance technology to prevent the most dangerous repeat speeders from exceeding posted speed limits. It's a landmark piece of legislation for cyclists and pedestrians in Chicago, and it came directly from the advocacy of people whose lives were changed by speeding drivers.
Speeding is one of the leading causes of serious bicycle accidents and pedestrian accidents in Illinois, and the crashes it produces tend to be among the most severe. The Chicago bicycle accident lawyers at Keating Law Offices, P.C., have been fighting for injured riders and pedestrians for over 15 years and have seen the devastating outcomes of these collisions.
What the Stop Super Speeders Bill Actually Does
HB 4948 establishes an Intelligent Speed Assistance Program targeting drivers whose licenses have been suspended or revoked after two convictions for excessive speeding, defined under the bill as driving 26 miles per hour or more above the posted speed limit. According to the Active Transportation Alliance, ISA technology uses GPS and onboard sensors to prevent the most dangerous drivers from exceeding posted speed limits, with evidence from existing programs showing that it can dramatically reduce dangerous speeding, much like ignition interlock devices have reduced repeat drunk driving.
Under the program, eligible drivers can apply for a restricted driving permit that allows limited driving for work, school, and daily life, but only if their vehicle is equipped with the technology that enforces speed compliance. It creates a fund to subsidize the cost for low-income drivers and targets what research confirms: a small number of repeat reckless speeders are responsible for a disproportionate share of fatal crashes, and traditional enforcement methods, including license suspension, have proven largely ineffective. Nationally, an estimated 75 percent of drivers with suspended licenses continue to drive.
The bill targets that reality head-on rather than continuing to rely on a system that demonstrably isn't working.
The Voices Behind the Bill
The legislation didn't emerge from a committee room in Springfield. It came from people who survived what repeat speeders can do.
Rudy Faust, an Illinois crash survivor and Families for Safe Streets advocate, said he carries the reality of his crash every day, and that no one should have to learn through tragedy what we already know how to prevent. Amy Cohen, founder of Families for Safe Streets, whose 12-year-old son was killed by a speeding driver, said the vote is a powerful acknowledgment that Illinois can no longer accept preventable roadway deaths as inevitable.
Illinois is now part of a growing national movement. Similar legislation has already been enacted in Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Washington State. In 2026 alone, Hawaii, Maryland, and Georgia all passed versions of Stop Super Speeders legislation, and New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the measure would be included in the state budget. Another 14 states are considering it this year.
Speeding Makes Chicago's Streets Deadly for Cyclists and Pedestrians
Speed is not just one factor among many in serious crash outcomes. It's a multiplier that affects everything: the likelihood a crash will occur, the severity of the injuries that result, and the chances of survival. The risk is particularly acute for cyclists and pedestrians, who have no protective shell when struck by a speeding vehicle.
Speed is not simply a factor that increases the likelihood of a crash—it dramatically increases the severity of injuries when a collision occurs. The laws of physics are unforgiving. As vehicle speed increases, the kinetic energy released in a crash increases exponentially. That additional energy is transferred directly to the human body, making catastrophic injury and death substantially more likely. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recognizes that higher speeds reduce a driver's available reaction time, increase stopping distances, decrease vehicle control, and significantly increase crash severity. Even relatively small increases in travel speed can produce disproportionately worse outcomes for pedestrians, bicyclists, and vehicle occupants alike.
For people outside a vehicle, the consequences are especially devastating. NHTSA's Safe System research shows that the risk of death for a pedestrian begins increasing rapidly once impact speeds exceed approximately 20 to 25 miles per hour. At approximately 32 mph, a pedestrian faces roughly a 25% risk of death. By 42 mph, that risk doubles to approximately 50%. This is precisely why traffic engineers, public health officials, and roadway safety experts increasingly advocate for lower vehicle speeds on urban streets where people walk and ride bicycles.
The national statistics underscore the enormous human cost of unsafe driving. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 3.8 million Americans are treated in emergency departments each year for injuries sustained in motor vehicle crashes. That translates to approximately five to six people injured every minute on American roadways. Human behavior—including speeding, distraction, impairment, and other preventable driving decisions—contributes to more than 90% of all traffic crashes. Motor vehicle crashes also remain one of the leading causes of death for Americans between the ages of 1 and 44.
Fatal crashes continue to claim tens of thousands of lives every year. Recent national estimates show approximately 39,000 to 43,000 people die annually in motor vehicle crashes, averaging well over 100 deaths every day. Speeding alone contributes to nearly one-third of all traffic fatalities. In 2024, NHTSA reported 11,288 speeding-related deaths, representing 29% of all traffic fatalities nationwide.
Although advances in vehicle safety have reduced the fatality rate per mile traveled over the past several decades, excessive speed remains one of the most preventable causes of catastrophic injury. Modern vehicles may be safer than ever, but no amount of technology can overcome the fundamental laws of physics. When drivers choose to travel faster than conditions safely allow, they increase not only the likelihood of a crash but also the probability that the crash will permanently alter—or end—someone's life.
The crash types that most consistently produce catastrophic outcomes for Chicago's vulnerable road users share a common element:
- Intersection Crashes: A driver running a red light or failing to yield at an intersection while traveling significantly above the speed limit removes the reaction time that might otherwise allow a cyclist or pedestrian to get out of the way. These crashes are among the most common sources of serious bicycle accident injuries in the city.
- Right Hook and Left Hook Accidents: When a driver cuts off a cyclist by turning across their path, speed directly determines how much time both parties have to avoid the collision. At higher speeds, that window closes to near zero.
- Dooring Accidents: A cyclist who swerves into traffic to avoid a suddenly opened car door faces a secondary hazard whose lethality depends entirely on how fast approaching traffic is moving.
- Truck Collisions: Commercial vehicles traveling above posted speed limits in urban areas near bike lanes and crosswalks create a particularly deadly combination of size, weight, and velocity. The stopping distances involved make it nearly impossible for a cyclist or pedestrian to avoid entering the vehicle's path.
- Crosswalk Accidents: Pedestrians crossing legally in marked crosswalks face a dramatically different risk profile depending on how fast approaching traffic is moving. At 20 mph, most pedestrians struck by a vehicle survive. At 40 mph, most don't.
What This Bill Means Legally for Injured Cyclists and Pedestrians
HB 4948 matters for injury victims in ways that extend beyond the legislative win itself. Speed is a central element in establishing negligence and damages in bicycle and pedestrian accident cases, and the legislative record being built around repeat super speeders strengthens the legal framework for holding those drivers fully accountable.
When a repeat speeder causes a crash, the question of punitive damages becomes more relevant. Illinois law allows punitive damages in cases where a defendant's conduct was willful and wanton, and a driver with two prior convictions for excessive speeding who continues to drive aggressively has a very difficult time arguing that their behavior wasn't willful. The evidence trail created by prior convictions, the documented failure of license suspension as a deterrent, and the legislative findings supporting HB 4948 all contribute to a damage picture that goes beyond compensatory recovery.
The bill also highlights the gap between what traditional enforcement catches and what's actually happening on Illinois roads. For injured victims, that gap is a reminder that the crash that hurt them wasn't an aberration. It was a predictable outcome of a pattern of behavior that the legal system now has new tools to address.
Dennis's Law, HB 4948, and the Illinois Cyclists Helped Build This
Dennis's Law, the Illinois law clarifying that bicycles are vehicles and that cyclists have the same road rights as drivers, was drafted by attorney Michael Keating after a judge dismissed a traffic citation against a driver who killed Dennis Jurs, a 68-year-old Army veteran and cyclist, ruling that bicycles weren't covered under traffic law. Keating wrote the first draft of the bill, worked with legislators and advocacy groups to advance it in Springfield, and secured passage of the bill in both the House and Senate with nearly unanimous support.
HB 4948 follows in that tradition. It's legislation that came from the cycling and pedestrian advocacy community, pushed forward by families who lost someone and survivors who refused to accept that what happened to them was inevitable. In Illinois, these laws get built from the street up.
Hurt by a Speeding Driver in Chicago? We're Ready to Fight for You.
Keating Law Offices, P.C. has been fighting for injured cyclists and pedestrians throughout Chicago and Illinois since 2008. Whether a speeding driver ran a red light, cut you off while turning, or struck you in a crosswalk, our bicycle accident lawyers know how to build the cases that insurance companies can't ignore. There are no upfront costs and no fees unless we recover compensation for you. Contact us today for a free consultation.
"Mike and his team really came through for me. I was hit by a car that ran a stop sign while on my bike. It put me in ICU for a week, and then several months of rehab to feel normal again. On the day we appeared in court, the driver plead not guilty. The judge ruled in the driver's favor. But despite this, Mike doubled down with the driver's insurance agency, hammered home my case, and won a settlement that exceeded my expectations. I can't thank him enough for all that he did for me. It's good to have a seasoned pro like Mike in my corner." — K.M., ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
