SPRINGFIELD –– A new law proposed by Secretary of State Jesse
White requiring all court supervisions for traffic offenses to be
reported to his office was signed by Governor Ryan on June 2.
White pushed for the new law following an investigation of a
deadly accident between a semi-trailer truck and an Amtrak
passenger train in Bourbonnais last year. The investigation
found that the driver of the truck had an established track
record of using court supervisions in multiple jurisdictions to
avoid punishment for poor driving.
"I want to thank the General Assembly and Governor Ryan for
helping improve highway safety," said White. "This new law will
give judges and prosecutors full information on each driver’s
record. Dangerous drivers will no longer be able to hide traffic
violations from the courts."
The new law gives the Secretary of State authority to
establish a centralized database of court supervisions for
drivers in all 102 counties in Illinois. Because courts do not
currently share such information, it is impossible for a judge in
one county to know whether a driver has been granted court
supervision anywhere else.
The legislation (HB 2883) also provides that all the
information reported to the Secretary of State is available only
to the affected driver and for use by the courts, police
officers, prosecuting authorities and the Secretary of State.
The information will not be available to insurance companies.
The measure is an outgrowth of Secretary of State Jesse
White’s Highway Safety 2000 Advisory Panel, which was formed in
early 1999 to investigate concerns raised by the tragic accident
in Bourbonnais. White continues to consult with the panel of
transportation experts, law enforcement officials, judges and
attorneys on other safety issues, including new rules he has
established to increase standards for commercial truck drivers in
Illinois.
"I want to thank members of the highway safety panel for
helping me establish new laws and rules that should make Illinois
highways among the safest in the nation," said White. "They have
been tremendous partners and I will continue to rely on their
input to improve road safety."
The new law goes into effect Oct. 1. The start-up cost for
the program will be paid by a federal grant. The $356,845 grant
is provided through the Federal Highway Administration and the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and is
administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation,
Division of Traffic Safety.
House Speaker Michael J. Madigan and State Senator Walter
Dudycz sponsored the legislation. Other sponsors of the measure
include State Representatives Jay Hoffman, Bill O’Connor, Steve
Davis, Mark Beaubien, Kevin McCarthy, Calvin Giles, Charles
Morrow, Lou Jones, Art Turner, Lauren Beth Gash, Shirley Jones,
Willis Harris, Richard Bradley and State Senator Bill Shaw.
