SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – From day one, Dan Brady, a Bloomington Republican, has made the fight against distracted driving in Illinois a key part of his campaign for Secretary of State. That battle is even more crucial now, with a new study listing Illinois as one of the deadliest states in the country for distracted driving.
“Anyone who has seen another driver looking at their phone, eating, putting on makeup, or other activities instead of focusing on the two-ton piece of metal they are driving knows what I am talking about,” Brady said. “My goal as Secretary of State is to make Illinois the safest state in the nation the next time this distracted driving study comes out.”
The company MoneyGeek, in an analysis of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data, ranks Illinois as the eighth deadliest state in the country for distracted driving with 1.6 deaths per billion miles driven.
Brady will have the Secretary of State’s office work with organizations such as the Tire Rack Street Survival, a tire and auto industry-sponsored program that graphically teaches teenagers the physics behind driving their own cars in real-world situations. As students learn what it takes to safely move more than a ton of motor vehicle on the street, they learn more focus and concentration and why they should take fewer risks themselves, such as distracted driving.
“I am passionate about reducing vehicle accidents related to distracted driving and developing better ways to teach our young drivers behind the wheel,” Brady said. “I have already worked closely with the Secretary of State’s Office on initiatives that will make Illinois roadways safer and to better train Illinois drivers, and I plan to use the resources of the Secretary of State’s office to greatly expand that effort.”
Brady is also active on other issues related to driver safety. He recently worked with the National Safety Council and advocates for older adults on a law that will help make driving safer for older residents.
“I recently passed legislation that was signed into law regarding E-learning defensive driver courses for mature drivers that will potentially lower their insurance premiums while providing enhanced technology options for training,” Brady said.
About Dan Brady
Dan Brady is a candidate for Illinois Secretary of State. He is a resident of Bloomington, Illinois where he is a licensed funeral director and embalmer, and is an associate in the funeral home firm Kibler-Brady-Ruestman. Brady served as McLean County Coroner from 1992 to 2000. He received an A.A. from Southern Illinois University and a B.A. in Elected Studies from St. Ambrose University. Brady was named to the Illinois House Republican Leadership team in 2003 and in 2017 he was named Deputy Minority Leader. He has been recognized for his local leadership by a variety of organizations and is a repeated recipient of awards including the ACTIVATOR “Friend of Agriculture Award, the National Federation of Independent Business “Guardian of Small Business” Award and the Illinois Chamber of Commerce “Champion of Free Enterprise” Award. Dan and his wife Teri have two children.