MadisonToday the State Assembly and State Senate approved legislation authored by State Representative John Jagler (R-Watertown) and State Senator Paul Farrow (R-Pewaukee) that increases penalties for reckless driving around sanitation workers.
 
The “Slow Down to Get Around” bill doubles the minimum and maximum forfeitures for certain speeding and reckless driving violations committed in areas where sanitation workers are at risk. Jagler authored the bill following an accident involving one of his constituents who was pinned between a vehicle and his garbage truck while emptying a trash container. 
 
“While campaigning in Ixonia, I met Mark Friend,” Jagler said. “Mark, who has worked in the sanitation industry for years, told me of the dangers he and his coworkers face every day due to reckless drivers. I promised I would look into ways to improve safety conditions.”
 
Just months later, Friend was severely injured in an accident in Stoughton, losing a leg. “After very nearly losing his life and undergoing nearly two dozen surgeries, Mark called me to remind me of the promise I made,” Jagler said. “I immediately started working on this bill.”
 
“I am thrilled to see this legislation pass through both houses with strong bipartisan support,” Jagler said. “I am confident that, once signed into law by the Governor, this bill will prevent accidents by encouraging drivers to be more safety-conscious when garbage crews are working.”