Durbin Meets With Advocates For Highway Safety On Preventing Roadside Deaths
Durbin presented with the Highway Safety Hero Award
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with the Board of Directors of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety to discuss potential federal solutions to prevent roadside deaths and to accept their Highway Safety Hero Award for his work in Congress to make roads safer. In Illinois, there have already been 16 roadside crashes this year that have resulted in the deaths of three Illinois state troopers. Durbin has advocated for increased funding for federal highway safety grants, which states could use to educate the public about current Move Over laws.
“Illinois passed a law nearly 20 years ago that was supposed to make the roads safer for police and other emergency responders, but right now we aren’t doing a good enough job educating Illinoisans about it,” Durbin said. “We have to take proactive steps that improve safety protocols on the highway so we can protect the brave women and men who work on our roadways. It was good to hear from advocates today about potential steps Congress should take to make our roads safer.”
A photo of today’s meeting is available here.
Last week, Durbin spoke to Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Secretary Omer Osman and Paul Loete, Director of IDOT’s Office of Highways, to get an update on what IDOT is doing to prevent roadside deaths.