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92_HR0372
LRB9209031RHrhA
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, There have been growing concerns for safety of
3 all persons driving through or working in highway work zones;
4 and
5 WHEREAS, These worries are increased as the Department of
6 Transportation prepares for the full scale implementation of
7 Illinois FIRST, meaning even more highway work zones and the
8 more potentially hazardous situations along highways; and
9 WHEREAS, During the year 2000, there were 37 fatalities
10 resulting from accidents that occurred in work zones in
11 Illinois; and
12 WHEREAS, During the year 2000, there were over 3000
13 people injured in accidents that occurred in work zones in
14 Illinois; and
15 WHEREAS, This was a dramatic increase in the number of
16 both of these statistics from previous years; and
17 WHEREAS, It is necessary to increase public awareness
18 with regards to the special speed limits and increased
19 penalties for speeding in work zones; and
20 WHEREAS, The Illinois Department of Transportation and
21 the Illinois Department of State Police have begun several
22 initiatives in Illinois to address work zone safety, which
23 include:
24 1. Hiring off duty State troopers to enforce traffic
25 violations in work zones; the funding level from the Road
26 Fund for this purpose has steadily increased to the current
27 level of $1 million which funds approximately 20,000 hours;
28 and
29 2. This year alone, the Illinois Department of
30 Transportation developed five Public Service Announcements to
31 educate motorists and make them aware of the hazards
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1 associated with driving through work zones; the Illinois
2 Department of Transportation has spent $180,000 purchasing
3 radio and television spots to run these Public Service
4 Announcements; and
5 3. The Department of Transportation has revised the
6 standards for traffic control for highway maintenance
7 activities; these revisions include the use of brighter
8 strobe lights on the maintenance vehicles and increased use
9 of shadow vehicles equipped with arrow boards and truck
10 mounted attenuators; and
11 4. This year, the Illinois State Police began to utilize
12 their surveillance airplanes to enforce speeds in work zones;
13 and
14 WHEREAS, House Bill 198 provides that the course of
15 instruction given in grades 10 through 12 concerning the
16 Illinois Vehicle Code must include instruction on special
17 hazards existing at, and required extra safety and driving
18 precautions that must be observed at, highway construction
19 and maintenance zones; and
20 WHEREAS, House Bill 3246 increases the penalties for a
21 second or subsequent violation of a work zone speed limit;
22 and
23 WHEREAS, Both House Bill 198 and House Bill 3246 have
24 passed both the Illinois House of Representatives and the
25 Illinois Senate with unanimous support; therefore, be it
26 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
27 NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
28 we recognize the Illinois Department of Transportation and
29 the Illinois State Police for their efforts to promote public
30 awareness and safety in highway work zones, and we encourage
31 the continuation of their programs that do so; and be it
32 further
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1 RESOLVED, That we urge the continued funding by the
2 Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois State
3 Police of their initiatives to address work zone safety; and
4 be it further
5 RESOLVED, That we urge the Governor of the State of
6 Illinois to sign House Bill 198 and House Bill 3246; and be
7 it further
8 RESOLVED, That we commit to do everything in our power as
9 members of the House of Representatives to promote public
10 awareness of highway work zone safety; and be it further
11 RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
12 presented to the Governor of the State of Illinois, the
13 Secretary of the Illinois Department of Transportation, the
14 Director of State Police, and to each member of the Illinois
15 General Assembly.