Alliance > Media center > People Powered Blog

Entries tagged: Governor Pat Quinn

After admittedly throwing back a few drinks on the night of May 31, 2009 Erik Fabian and Armando Reza hopped in their car with the express intent to terrorize cyclists. They drove around, hunting the streets, until they spotted a 52-year-old man on a bike in Brookfield, Illinois — and purposefully hit him with their vehicle, before fleeing the scene of the crime.

Last month, cyclists across the state were outraged when Fabian got off with probation and Reza was sentenced to just 10 days in jail. The Active Transportation Alliance immediately kicked off a letter-writing campaign, asking the district attorney to justify why the two men were allowed to get off nearly scot-free after an incident that essentially amounted to assault with a deadly (automotive) weapon.

A new state law signed this week could make drivers like Fabian and Reza think twice.

On Monday, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed a bill that enhances the penalties for drivers who get kicks out of spooking or sideswiping people on bikes. Standing next to the Governor at the press event, Ed Barsotti, executive director of the League of Illinois Bicyclists, said the aggressive behavior of Fabian and Reza — and their light punishment — show a perceived lack of consequences for motorists who ignore the safety of cyclists.

“Most cyclists here have been threatened in various ways,” Barsotti said. “The new bicyclist protection laws spells it out more clearly: Don’t do it. It sets penalties for motorists driving recklessly close to, toward or near a cyclist and depending on whether serious injury results, it’s either a Class A misdemeanor or a Class 4 felony act.  The new law will serve as a deterrent through education and as a prosecution tool.”

“It’s important that we honor the fact that we have to share the road,” the Governor said. “The road belongs to everyone. Our bicyclists need to be protected and signing this legislation makes that a real policy of our state.”