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 A ceremony to mark the sign installation was attended by Ball's
family, IDOT and state police officials, legislators, and members of
a task force that supported the legislation, including Cook County
Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown, members of the Alliance Against
Intoxicated Motorists and officials from Tina Ball's union, the
Laborers' International Union.
"Tina Ball died under tragic circumstances -- she was a road
construction worker who was killed by a drunk driver while earning a
living to support her family," said IDOT Secretary Milton R. Sees.
"The governor signed Tina's Law so family members can honor and
memorialize their loved one and at the same time send a powerful
message to the public at large about the deadly toll drunk drivers
take on our society, and the fact that this is a crime we will not
tolerate."
The new law allows relatives of DUI victims to request a memorial
marker for any crash that occurred on or after Jan. 1, 2003. The
memorial markers are a 36-by-24-inch blue sign with white letters
reading, "Please Don't Drink and Drive." At a relative's request, a
separate 36-by- 18-inch panel reading, "In Memory of (victim's
name)," followed by the date of the crash, will be mounted below the
primary sign.
"On Sept. 15, 2003, my sister, Tina Ball, was killed by a drunk
driver," said Ball's sister, Anna Johnson. "In her memory, we have
worked very hard to make our roads safer. We hope that with these
memorial markers in place, it will help remind people that drinking
and driving does kill innocent people. If this can save one more
life -- may it be a mother, a daughter, a sister, a wife -- then all
our sadness will be put towards a positive step in eliminating drunk
drivers from our roads."
"All too often, law enforcement officers observe firsthand the
devastation impaired drivers leave on families and our communities,"
said Illinois State Police Director Larry G. Trent. "Innocent
victims have lost their lives because of these senseless and very
preventable criminal actions. With the passage of Tina's Law,
memorial signs will be erected at the site of these tragic crashes
and will serve as constant reminders to motorists of the
heartbreaking consequences if they choose to drink and drive."
The Tina Ball Memorial DUI Task Force was instrumental in pushing
for passage of Tina's Law, formally known as
House Bill 1900. The
bill's sponsors were Sen. Kirk Dillard, R-Hinsdale, and Rep. Susana
Mendoza, D-Chicago.
"I learned of the commitment the Ball family had to strengthen
laws against drunk drivers and promised to create a task force to
help make Tina's Law a reality," said Dorothy Brown, clerk of the
Circuit Court of Cook County. "I was honored to be involved with the
drafting of the bill. Mrs. Ball lost her life needlessly due to the
actions of a drunk driver. I want to make sure that the clerk's
office stay at the forefront in creating legislation that may help
decrease drunken driving accidents and fatalities."
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 "I think this law will help families work through the grief of
having a loved one killed by a drunk driver," said Dillard, Senate
sponsor of the legislation. "These memorials will raise the public
awareness of the harm inflicted by drunk drivers upon our society,
and hopefully make people think twice before getting behind the
wheel of a car after they have been drinking."
"I'm pleased that we can honor Tina Ball and so many other
victims of senseless DUI deaths by the erection of these memorial
markers," said Mendoza, House sponsor of the bill. "Hopefully,
they'll serve as a stark reminder to motorists that driving while
under the influence leads to fatal consequences. The names on the
memorial signs belong to real people who leave behind loving
families living with real sadness as a result of irresponsible
drivers."
"After many years of trying to create an official sign program to
memorialize victims of impaired-driving crashes, the Alliance
Against Intoxicated Motorists is pleased that we will now be able to
remind drivers throughout the state of the dangers and consequences
of this terrible crime," stated Charlene Chapman, executive director
of the alliance. "Currently, family and friends of crash victims
often erect temporary, makeshift memorials, which are removed
because they become unsightly and can be a distraction to other
drivers.
"This roadside marker program will provide both a memorial and a
message. As an active member of the Tina Ball DUI Memorial Task
Force, AAIM proposed this roadway sign program, and we are all truly
grateful to Governor Blagojevich, Cook County Circuit Court Clerk
Dorothy Brown and the Illinois Department of Transportation for
their dedicated support in creating this law."
Family members of DUI victims will be able to apply for memorial
signs through IDOT district offices. Groups such as AIMM and MADD
will be able to assist family members in obtaining and completing
applications. There will be a $150 fee for the "Don't Drink and
Drive" sign and a $50 fee for the plaque bearing the name of the
victim.
[Text from file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
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