New laws should make roads safer

As Chicago-area drivers know, there really are only two seasons -- winter and construction. And we are in the midst of heavy construction season.

Unfortunately, that also means that some drivers return to aggressive ways, putting road construction workers in peril. That's why we support "Jeff's Law," which goes into effect June 1.

As Daily Herald staff writer Lee Filas reported Saturday, "Jeff's Law" is named for Jeff Heath, an Illinois Department of Transportation construction worker who was struck and killed by a speeding pickup truck and trailer that lost control two years ago.

Under the new law, a driver in a similar accident could get jail time if convicted of speeding in a construction or a school zone.

The driver who hit and killed Heath did not get jail time because he was not charged with reckless homicide.

"People need to slow down and be very aware of their surroundings because there a variety of conditions that could hurt and kill people," IDOT spokesman Mike Claffey said.

Filas reports that an average of 7,000 crashes occur in work zones in Illinois annually, resulting in 2,600 injuries. Fatalities have dropped to 21 last year from 44 in 2003, largely because of increases in enforcement of construction zone speed limits. But sometimes drivers need even more reason to slow down, and sponsors of the bill say jail time may do it.

"Prior to this law, to be prosecuted for reckless homicide, the motorist had to be impaired," said state Sen. William Haine of Alton, a chief sponsor in the Legislature. "Now a jury may find a motorist guilty because of excessive speed alone. This will deter people from speeding excessively through a construction zone."

Drunken drivers in Illinois also will face what is being described as one of the toughest DUI laws in the country when it takes effect Jan. 1. We support this law as well.

Under the new law, first-time offenders can be forced by a judge to install a Breathalyzer device in their car, requiring the driver to blow into the machine before starting the car. It won't start if the driver fails the test.

"We are absolutely and totally in favor of this new law," Mothers Against Drunk Driving spokesman David Malham said. "Having this device installed is like having a cop in the car. It forces people to change their behavior."

And that's the key for both of these laws. To avoid jail time or a Breathalyzer requirement every time you try to drive, Illinois motorists need to think twice before they speed or drive drunk. Getting to your destination faster or putting yourself and others at risk just isn't worth it. And for those who just don't get it, we believe these laws will make our roads safer by getting them off our roads one way or the other.