Are you speeding? Are you talking on your cell phone through construction zones? Are you still in the graduated driver’s licensing program?
If you answered yes to either of these questions, chances are you are in for a visit with a Morton Police Department officer.
Now, and continuing through the remainder of Jackson Street resurfacing, Morton police are planning to step up enforcement, particularly near school and construction zones.
“We are really hitting the schools hard on speeding and cell phone usage,” said Morton Police Department Deputy Chief Craig Hilliard. “We have been, for the last two weeks, hitting them hard every morning.”
The posted speed limit in school zones is 20 miles per hour.
On top of that, the department aims to take a zero-tolerance approach to drivers still enrolled in Illinois’ graduated driver’s license program. That means drivers 17 and younger are a target of the increased enforcement. Police will be checking seat belt, curfew and passenger violations.
The increased enforcement comes in the wake of complaints from school personnel, crossing guards and parents, Hilliard said.
“We’re wanting to take a zero tolerance approach to all GDL violations,” he said. “It is directed toward the safety of the youth.”
Hilliard said he recommends parents keep tabs on their teenagers’ driving habits, particularly if they are between the ages of 16 and 17 — the age of drivers in the GDL program.
“We’ve made several traffic stops in school zones since the beginning of the school year,” he said. “Our intention is to maintain a vigilant eye.”
The plan is to renew driver awareness since schools opened two weeks ago.
“It has been three months since school has been in session,” Hilliard said. “People forget about children being present.”
Additionally, with Jackson Street resurfacing underway, police will keep a watchful eye on motorists driving through construction zones.
Enforcement will be focused on cell phone usage, speeding and seat belt violations.
Resurfacing is expected to continue through fall, which initially posed a congestion risk during the Morton Pumpkin Festival, Sept. 15 through 18.
Just as police were planning to encourage motorists to use alternate routes, particularly during the festival, some good news arrived. The village has worked out a plan with the Illinois Department of Transportation and Cullinan to suspend road work and open all lanes during the festival.
This is welcome news for Jennifer Daly, executive director of the Morton Chamber of Commerce, who expressed concerns about the congestion during the festival.
