For Illinois Drivers, A Cellphone Crackdown
By Thomas J Barton | |
Proquest LLC |
The state's ban on cellphone use while driving went into effect
The ban is aimed at curbing distracted driving. Repeat offenses bring the possibility of a suspended license.
Violators in
"We've being giving people time to get used to (the ban), but that time is about up," said
She said the department had given out 11 warnings and no citations as of
"I think it's helped out some, especially in the school zones, which we patrol every day before and after school," Huntington said. "We had been getting calls of people on cellphones in school zones, even though that has been prohibited for a while now. This year, though, we haven't gotten complaints since we've been giving warnings and sending out emails about the new cellphone ban."
"We've been issuing a lot of verbal warnings, and it remains at the officer's discretion whether to issue a citation, but people should be aware by now of the law," said Sheriff
Anecdotally, most drivers seem to be complying with the ban, he said.
"I think a majority of people went hands-free, syncing with their cars or using Bluetooth," he said. "And so far, we don't have any accidents reported from talking on a cellphone."
Violating the cellphone ban is a primary offense, allowing police to pull over and ticket. The same goes for texting while driving in
A bill moving through the
In
Police and emergency personnel are exempt from the ban while performing their official duties.
The law also increases penalties for drivers who injure or kill others in crashes caused by the use of a cellphone or other electronic device.
In
For the first half of 2012, cellphone distractions, including texting, were the primary or secondary cause of more than 600 crashes.
A 2005
While bans on handheld phone use and texting are increasingly common, there is no evidence that they reduce crashes, according to institute researchers.
"But even if it prevents one person from dying - prevents one family from having to go through what my family went through - then it's a worthy law," said
Toot's 17-year-old daughter, Chelsea, was killed
She swerved, overcorrected and hit a guardrail before being struck on the passenger side by another vehicle, Toot said.
"It makes people think,'Is that text or phone call worth it?'" he said of the ban. "And it's not. It's not worth your life or anyone else's."
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