Speeders or impaired drivers who kill people in work or school zones will be easier to convict for reckless driving as a result of a law signed Monday by Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
Sponsored by state Sen. Bill Haine (D-Alton) and state Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Collinsville), “Jeff’s Law” allows a judge or jury to presume a driver is acting recklessly if under the influence of substances or driving with excessive speed during an accident that kills a construction worker or child in a safety zone.
The bill is named for Jeff Heath, 58, an Illinois Department of Transportation employee killed in April 2006 while directing traffic in a construction zone. Heath was hit by a speeding vehicle trying to avoid an accident near St. Louis.
Since 1951, 181 IDOT workers have been killed on Illinois roads, the governor’s office said.
The law takes effect June 1.
