Incident location: Near intersection of Cedar Glade Drive and Leverenz Road
Disgraced Illinois ex-Governor Rod Blagojevich signed legislation back in 2004 increasing penalties if you hit a construction worker on an Illinois roadway. Every few miles now you’ll see signs saying “Hit a worker, $10,000 fine, 14 years in jail.”
What I’d like to know is what the penalty is when a construction worker is yapping on their cell phone, not paying attention — while ironically trying to be visible in their neon vest — and opens their door right as a cyclist is passing their vehicle and has to swerve to not run into it. Because that almost happened to me. In the suburbs. On a street where said vehicle was the only one parked for a good 1/4 mile. And it wasn’t a big dump truck, just a small utility pickup.
Is it really that hard to check your mirror before opening your door?
Seriously. The only parked car within 1/4 of a mile in either direction. How does this happen?
