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Dutch Reach Awareness Campaign Launched to Help Prevent Tragic Crashes Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announces Dutch Reach awareness campaign to help prevent tragic crashes. The Dutch Reach, a technique for safely exiting a vehicle, has been promoted through Illinois driver education programs and the Rules of the Road publication as a simple way to improve awareness of approaching cyclists, pedestrians and other roadway users. The reminder comes after Chicago Department of Transportation employee Riley O’Neil, 35, died from injuries sustained in a June 5 crash when a driver opened a door into the path of his bicycle in Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood. The incident serves as a stark warning that dooring crashes can have serious and sometimes fatal consequences. “No one should lose their life because a motorist failed to look before opening a car door. This tragedy is a painful reminder that every driver and passenger has a responsibility to be aware of the people around them,” Giannoulias said. “The Dutch Reach is a simple habit that takes just a second, but that second can prevent a crash, save a life and make our roads safer for everyone.” “Riley O’Neil was one of the earliest supporters of our work, and it is a poetic injustice that he was killed on the same streets he was so passionate about making safer. Sadly, crashes like the one that took Riley’s life are becoming far too common,” said Christina Whitehouse, founder of Bike Lane Uprising, an organization that works to improve bicycle safety through data-driven advocacy and community reporting of roadway hazards. “This is a call to action for everyone exiting a vehicle to make sure the path is clear before opening a door. It is also a reminder for drivers to stay alert around bicyclists and leave enough space to react to
unexpected hazards.” The Dutch Reach is a simple safety technique that requires drivers and passengers to use the hand farthest from the door when exiting a vehicle. This motion naturally causes a person to rotate their body and look over their shoulder, helping them spot approaching cyclists, scooter riders, pedestrians and other road users before opening the door. Illinois has been a national leader in promoting the Dutch Reach. In 2018, state lawmakers passed legislation, making Illinois the second state in the nation to include guidance on the technique in its Rules of the Road. Illinois law requires drivers and passengers to ensure it is reasonably safe before opening a vehicle door into moving traffic and that doing so does not interfere with other road users. The Dutch Reach is a simple way to help drivers meet that responsibility. Dooring occurs when a driver or passenger opens a door into the path of a bicyclist or other road user. These incidents can cause riders to lose control, collide with the door or enter traffic unexpectedly. Because bicyclists typically have little time to react, the resulting injuries can be severe. According to bicycle safety advocates, approximately one in five bicycle crashes in Chicago involves a dooring incident, underscoring the importance of checking for approaching cyclists before opening a vehicle door. Giannoulias encourages all Illinois drivers, passengers, parents and driving instructors to share the Dutch Reach technique and incorporate it into everyday driving habits.
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Small food assistance nonprofits eligible for new state grant program By JENNA SCHWEIKERT Capitol News Illinois jschweikert@capitolnewsillinois.com Small volunteer groups that provide food assistance to Illinoisans in need could be eligible for a new round of grant money under a program announced this week. The Charitable Trust Hunger Relief Grant program will provide grants of up to $5,000 to 10 nonprofit organizations that don’t have full-time employees to purchase food for those in need. Applications opened June 1 and will remain open through July 31, Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs announced Wednesday. The announcement comes as food assistance groups experience increased need due to cuts to federal food assistance, including the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program. Feeding America, the country’s
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largest domestic hunger-relief organization, states that for every meal the organization provides, SNAP provides nine. “Hunger and food insecurity is a hidden epidemic afflicting children who cannot ask for help and adults who find it difficult to ask for help as they juggle two or more jobs,” Frerichs said in a statement June 10. “Small, local food pantries and soup kitchens are prepared to help these innocent lives because they see those suffering in the shadows. That is why we created this desperately needed hunger relief program, as these organizations try to help people get food as affordability remains a major concern.” The hunger relief program is part of a larger charitable trust fund, created in 2007, that helps small nonprofits with annual budgets of $1 million or less and at least
one full-time employee. The fund is supported by fees paid by larger nonprofit corporations when they file annual incorporation reports with the Illinois Secretary of State. This round, however, is open to organizations without full-time employees who did not previously qualify. An 11-member committee, made up of appointees from state government agencies and private citizens, oversees management of the funds and selects grant recipients. Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
New state program will expand access by libraries to digital databases for research, education By NIKOEL HYTREK Capitol News Illinois nhytrek@captiolnewsillinois.com Illinoisans now will have access to a large collection of high-quality digital information and educational resources for free by going to their local library or the Illinois State Library’s website. The Illinois Reliable Information Sources, or IRIS, program was announced Tuesday by Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias. The state entered a contract with EBSCO Information Services — a digital library resource program used by universities, schools and libraries — to provide access to more than 50 of their databases to all Illinois residents. It could not be immediately determined how much money went into program. While it’s common for libraries to have resources for research, not all libraries are able to pay for these kinds of services.
The new service includes free access to online databases with e-books, peer-reviewed journals, magazines, newspapers and research databases. Those collections include a diverse range of topics such as business, education, health, technology, science and more. The program is also available for academic libraries, which means students and educators will be able to use these databases for research projects and instruction. Libraries that already subscribe to other digital information services will be able to use this program and redirect the subscription money to other needs. Illinois libraries are funded by a mix of property taxes and state and federal grants. Librarians have said it’s often difficult to decide what to prioritize when budgets get tight, and many Illinois libraries have reported they don’t offer online database subscriptions. As part of last year’s budget implementation bill, Giannoulias advocated for expanded eligibility for Equalization Aid Grants to support more public libraries
across the state. That effort increased the number of libraries receiving these grants from 17 to 108. According to the Reaching Across Illinois Library System, a regional library system that serves libraries in northern and west-central Illinois, approximately one million Illinoisans live without access to public library services, and this program will cover them, too. “This statewide database will have a profound impact on libraries,” Amy Byers, library director for Chatham Public Library and former president of the Illinois Library Association, said. “It will help us expand services and continue to provide great resources to our patrons without having to weigh the option of having good, quality online resources.” Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.