Friday, Sept. 2

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State lays out aggressive plan for safer Illinois roads     Send a link to a friend

Law enforcement stepped up on Illinois roadways during Labor Day weekend

[SEPT. 2, 2005]  CHICAGO -- On Thursday, the day before the traditional start of the Labor Day weekend -- one of the heaviest travel holidays of the year -- Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich announced Illinois' first-ever blueprint for how to save lives on Illinois roadways. The Illinois Comprehensive Highway Safety Plan will build on the state's safety successes in recent years in order to save lives.

In 2004, Illinois posted the lowest number of traffic fatalities since 1943. The Illinois Department of Transportation reports that 86 percent of drivers observed were wearing their seat belts in 2004, up 10 percent from just two years ago.

The governor also announced that Illinois is participating in the national "You Drink & Drive. You Lose" campaign, with a 17-day enforcement period that centers around Labor Day. Illinois will invest $950,000 in the public awareness campaign, coupled with more than 200 roadside safety checks by state and local police.

(Rebecca: we should include the stepped up enforcement and DUI checkpoints in the first paragraph of the release; that's the bigger news hook than the safety plan)

"We have brought together some of the best and the brightest in the state in terms of traffic safety and law enforcement, and we asked them to put together an aggressive action plan to save lives on our highways," the governor said. "And that's exactly what they did. We've got a lot of hard work ahead of us to reach our goal of reducing traffic fatalities to below 1,000 by the end of 2008, but we now have a road map for how to get there."

The Comprehensive Highway Safety Plan focuses on what are known as the four "e's" of highway safety -- engineering, enforcement, education and emergency services -- and integrates these into all 10 emphasis areas. The plan brings together safety organizations and state and local agencies to build upon existing resources and deliver a more focused and coordinated safety effort.

The 10-targeted areas of emphasis are:

  • Alcohol and other impaired driving
  • Driver behavior and awareness
  • Highway-railroad grade crossings
  • Information systems for decision-making
  • Intersections
  • Large trucks
  • Roadway departure 
  • Safety belts, occupant protection
  • Vulnerable users -- pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists
  • Work zones

For each of these areas, the plan reviews recently implemented tactics, lays out the primary challenges and offers a set of proposed new strategies. Implementation of aspects of the plan will begin immediately.

In the area of alcohol and other impaired driving, for example, the plan calls for -- among other things -- focusing more resources on high-visibility enforcement actions, tougher enforcement of underage drinking laws, working with prosecutors and courts to reduce repeat DUI offenses, and support for Illinois State Police efforts to develop eye-scan technology to detect impaired drivers.

In March, Blagojevich directed Department of Transportation to develop the Comprehensive Highway Safety Plan. In the months following, the department brought together public and private transportation professionals, state and local law enforcement officials, and others to determine what needs to be included in the plan.

"The CHSP signed by Governor Blagojevich today gives all of us who have a vested interest in highway safety a clear vision of where we need to focus our resources in the coming months and years," said Illinois State Police Director Larry G. Trent. "To save one life would make it a worthwhile endeavor, but to save over 300 lives would be heroic."

The Department of Transportation is charged with implementing the comprehensive plan, which the new federal transportation bill requires states to have by Oct. 1, 2007. Illinois is ahead of many other states with this effort and is being looked to as a model for its plan.

"Traffic deaths and injuries are both a major public health concern and an economic issue," said Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Timothy W. Martin. "Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for children and young adults. On top of that, crashes cost the Illinois economy $10.5 billion a year in terms of property damage, medical and legal costs, lost wages, and the cost of emergency services."

As he outlined Illinois' long-term plan to reduce traffic related deaths on our highways, Blagojevich also detailed enforcement activities and urged motorists to use caution as they drive during the Labor Day holiday weekend. Illinois is participating in the national "You Drink & Drive. You Lose" campaign, with a 17-day enforcement period. This is the second coordinated national crackdown effort since all 50 states adopted the .08 blood alcohol content law.

The effort combines focused law enforcement efforts with a coordinated education campaign. Nationally, $14 million will be spent on a public awareness campaign, the largest advertising campaign since the program debuted in 1999. Here in Illinois, the $950,000 public awareness campaign will be backed up with more than 200 roadside safety checks by state and local police.

[to top of second column in this article]

In addition to increased law enforcement, as motorists hit the road this holiday weekend they can also expect to encounter record-high gas prices. The governor pointed out that while a gallon of gasoline is more than $3 at stations across Illinois, drivers can save money on fuel by slowing down. According to estimates by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, driving at 65 miles per hour increases fuel consumption by 15 to 20 percent compared with driving at 55 miles per hour.

"I understand that families may be in a hurry to enjoy the last long weekend of the summer. But, slowing down may save you from getting into an accident and save money," the governor said.

In an effort to bring down the price of gas at the pumps, Blagojevich sent a letter to the President on Aug.17, asking him to open the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The governor sent a second letter Monday, renewing his call in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina's destruction. [See related article.] On Wednesday, President Bush decided to tap the reserve to replenish supplies disrupted by Hurricane Katrina. [See related article.]

In his letter Monday to President Bush, the governor pointed out that in 2000, an oil swap was used to withdraw 30 million barrels over a 30-day period. The move helped bring prices down by more than $6 per barrel and wholesale gasoline prices by 14 cents per gallon. At that time, a barrel of oil cost $33. Today, that same barrel of oil costs more than $67.

The governor also asked Attorney General Lisa Madigan to investigate price gouging at Illinois gas stations. The governor urged Illinoisans who suspect cases of price gouging to report their suspicions at www.illinois.gov/gasprices. The price monitoring website is part of the governor's efforts to boost fuel supplies and help reduce the demand for gasoline. His efforts also include promoting the use of renewable fuel and encouraging state government to use renewable fuels.

Furthering efforts to promote renewable fuels, the governor on Wednesday awarded grants to 30 gas stations around the state to help them convert regular gas pumps to E-85 pumps. [See related article.] E-85, an advanced hybrid of ethanol that is 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, is between 15 and 50 cents cheaper than a gallon of regular gasoline, saving consumers $8-$10 every time they fill up their tanks. According to the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition, there are 4.5 million E-85 compatible vehicles on U.S. roads, including various models of the Ford Taurus, the Dodge Stratus, the Sonoma GMC pickup and the Ford Explorer.

In March of this year, Blagojevich launched his E-85 Clean Energy Infrastructure Program, making $500,000 available to gas stations to convert pumps to E-85. About 70 gas stations around the state offer E-85 to motorists.

In addition to trying to bring the price down at the pumps and promote renewable fuels, the Blagojevich administration has previously taken a number of steps designed to improve traffic safety prior to adopting the Comprehensive Highway Safety Plan. These include:

  • A law that bans teen drivers from carrying more than one passenger for the first six months after receiving their license.
  • The primary seat belt enforcement law, which allows officers to stop and ticket drivers for not wearing a seat belt.
  • A law that raised the age at which children must be in booster seats from 4 to 8.
  • A law that bans drivers under the age of 18 from using a cell phone.
  • A law requiring drivers under 18 to ensure teen passengers are properly buckled up in the front and back seats.
  • Laws that allow photo speed enforcement in work zones when workers are present and increase the fines for speeding in a work zone.
  • Tougher drunk driving penalties.

Illinois Department of Transportation safety experts believe these measures are having a positive effect. Seat belt use has climbed steadily, from 76 percent in 2003 to 83 percent in 2004 and 86 percent in 2005. Last year's fatality numbers were 98 less than the previous year.

The Comprehensive Highway Safety Plan was developed by the Illinois Department of Transportation in coordination with the Illinois State Police, Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, the departments of Public Health and Central Management Services, the State Board of Education, and the secretary of state. Participants in the creation of the plan will be reconvening in 2006 to evaluate the progress that is being made.

The full Illinois Comprehensive Highway Safety Plan is available to the public at www.dot.state.il.us.

[News release from the governor's office]

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