Write a Letter of Support to the Media!

Letters to the editor  and to the media are critical to show community support for Highway Safety and Driver’s Licenses for all!

Below is a sample letter to the media to help you get started, and below that is a list of media contacts to send your letter to!

Sample Media Letter

Dear Editor,

As a resident of NAME OF SUBURB I would feel safer knowing that all of its residents were driving with a license and insurance.

Illinois is home to approximately 250,000 immigrant motorists who are unable to get a driver’s license and insurance.  Unlicensed and uninsured immigrant drivers cost us all $64 million in damage claims.  Last year 42% of all fatal crashes in Illinois involved unlicensed drivers, and nationwide, unlicensed motors are five times likelier to be in a fatal crash than licensed drivers.  Washington and New Mexico already require all motorists, including undocumented immigrants, to get driver’s license.  Both states also use strong procedures to verify documents regarding identity and residence and guard against fraud and abuse.

The much-needed bill promotes public safety by protecting our communities from uninsured drivers to free up police to tend to important matters.  Offering driving documents to all immigrants would produce many other benefits:

  • Police will be able to use licenses to identify motorists during stops and check their traffic records
  • Licensing all drivers will help first responders and healthcare providers to identify patients under their care, verify patient medical history, facilitate patient billing and will be instrumental in the implementation of the electronic medical record system under the Affordable Healthcare Act
  • Drivers will be more likely to stay at the scene of an accident to aid police and emergency workers and to exchange insurance information with affected motorists
  • Limited court time and jail space will be less burdened with cases of drivers who are there solely for driving without a license or insurance
  • As more drivers get insured, the numbers of accidents involving uninsured motorists will decline, the costs of such accidents will decline, and insurance rates will fall for everyone
  • It will increase the pool of urgently needed organ donors.

I urge members of the Illinois General Assembly and Secretary of State Jesse White to demonstrate leadership and courage and support Highway Safety and Mandatory Insurance for all in Illinois. This bill is supported by law enforcement, businesses and hospitals and is a sensible and common sense solution for everyone who drives in Illinois.

Sincerely,

FIRST NAME, LAST NAME

NAME OF SUBURB

Media Contacts

Tribune:
ctc-tribletter@tribune.com

Sun Times:
http://www.suntimes.com/opinions/letters/2397571-474/submit-letters-editor.html

Southtown Star:
http://southtownstar.suntimes.com/opinions/letters/2780689-474/story.html

Daily Herald:
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/99999999/SERVICES/100939998

Aurora Beacon News:
http://beaconnews.suntimes.com/opinions/letters/5222594-474/submit-your-letter-to-the-editor.html

St. Louis Dispatch:
jamieriley@post-dispatch.com

Bloomingdale Press:
ehutkin@mysuburbanlife.com

Pantagraph:
lsobota@pantagraph.com

Quad City Times:
mridolfi@qctimes.com

News Gazette:
letters@news-gazette.com,

Rockford Register Star:
whaas@rrstar.com

3 thoughts on “Write a Letter of Support to the Media!”

  1. As a resident of Chicago Illinois I would feel safer knowing that everyone driving had a license. People have to get around somehow and now that cta fares are going up most resident will prefer driving. That does not mean all of them will have a license. Therefore I strongly suggest that you allow all of us have better driving records by giving all those people a license to drive safer. Make the city of Chicago safer an better! Sincerely Jatziry Ojeda

  2. We need to make this right and pass this law, so that people don’t be afraid to take their kids to school or go to work without worrying of getting stopped and risk the possibility of getting deported.

  3. As a resident of the USA, I do agree with passing this law for all people to have same right of having license and proper insurance therefore people is not afraid to drive around this will prevent people from running from accidents.

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