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May 20, 2009

Dave Druker
Henry Haupt

Jesse White Reminds Motorists to Help Keep Illinois Roads Clean and Safe

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White is reminding motorists this Memorial Day weekend to drive safely and keep our roads and highways clean. In addition to being bad for the environment, littering on roads is a traffic safety issue.

According to the Illinois Litter Control Act, a conviction for littering on a roadway results in a Class B misdemeanor, with up to six months jail time and a maximum fine of $1,500. A second conviction results in a Class A misdemeanor, with up to one year in jail and a maximum fine of $2,500.

Littering can also be largely unintentional. In fact, much of the debris on highways comes from trucks that don’t have their loads covered.

White recommends the following tips to help keep our roadways clean and safe:

• Always carry a litterbag in your car. If you have litter, you now have somewhere to dispose of it.
• Securely cover open loads on all trucks. Much of the debris on the highway comes from trucks that don’t have their loads covered.
• Clean out pickup truck beds. Random trash left in the back of pickups can easily blow out onto the street.
• Set an example for others. Children often copy what they see. We can prevent bad behavior by picking up after ourselves and not littering.
• Put cigarette butts where they belong: in ashtrays.

Memorial Day is a heavily traveled holiday weekend. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, over the last three years during this holiday weekend the average traffic on Illinois roads Friday through Sunday increased by four percent when compared to non-holiday weekends.