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Traffic crashes are the leading cause of teenage fatalities -- and
teenage drivers have a fatality rate that is nearly two times higher
than older drivers. Illinois joins a handful of states that restrict
teenagers from using cell phones while driving.
"We know that cell phones can be distracting," Blagojevich said.
"And most of us remember how distracting it can be just to be a
teenager. On the roads, that combination can be especially
dangerous, which is why it's important to enact legislation that
prohibits teenagers from using their cell phones while driving."
The legislative actions to protect teen drivers came one day
after the governor announced that Illinois' safety belt use is at an
all-time high. The Illinois Department of Transportation reports
that 86 percent of drivers observed are wearing their seat belts, up
10 percent from two years ago. At the same time, 2005 could record
the fewest number of people killed on highways since 1924. Forty-one
fewer people have lost their lives on Illinois highways than at the
same time last year.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, two
out of five deaths among U.S. teens are the result of a motor
vehicle crash. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports
that, per mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are four times
more likely to crash than older drivers.
Senate Bill 210, sponsored by Sen. John Cullerton, D-Chicago,
and Rep. Paul Froehlich, R-Schaumburg, bans cell phone use by
drivers under 18 -- except in an emergency. According to the
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Maryland, Maine, Connecticut,
Tennessee, New Jersey, Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia
and now Illinois ban cell phone use for teenage drivers.
"Teenage drivers who have just received their driver's license
already face a number of challenges," Cullerton said. "They don't
need the added distraction of cell phone conversations diverting
their attention from the road."
"Learning to drive safely and complying with the rules of the
road is hard enough for teenagers, and there is no good reason why
inexperienced drivers should be distracted by making and receiving
phone calls," Froehlich said.
Senate Bill 229, sponsored by Cullerton and Rep. Deborah Graham,
D-Oak Park, requires drivers under 18 to make sure that their
passengers under 19 are wearing seat belts in the front and back
seats. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
teens have the lowest rate of seat belt use compared with other age
groups. In 2003, 18 percent of high school students reported they
rarely or never wear seat belts when riding with someone else.
"I am very pleased that we are taking this step to protect our
young people from deaths and serious injuries that could be averted
by the simple precaution of buckling up," Graham said.
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 Also on Friday, the governor signed
House Bill 1565, a measure that brings all sections of the
Illinois Vehicle Code into compliance with the age requirements in
the Illinois Child Passenger Protection Act, which requires that
children up to age 8 must be transported in a proper child safety
restraint. The legislation was sponsored by Rep. Cynthia Soto,
D-Chicago, and Sens. Antonio Munoz, D-Chicago, and Iris Y. Martinez,
D-Chicago.
"As we move forward with our attempts to protect child passengers
and raise awareness about the higher age limit in the Child
Passenger Protection Act, it is important that all relevant sections
of state law are in agreement," Soto said.
Senate Bill 229 and House Bill 1565 become effective Jan. 1,
2006.
In 2004, the number of teen deaths on Illinois roadways dropped
to its lowest rate since 1974. The governor, the Illinois State
Police and Illinois Department of Transportation credited increased
enforcement efforts during 2004 for helping to reduce the number of
teens ages 15- 19 who are killed in motor vehicle crashes.
Preliminary 2004 fatality figures provided by the Illinois
Department of Transportation indicate 133 teens were killed last
year, the lowest rate since collection of teen fatality statistics
began in 1974. In 2003, 187 teens lost their lives on Illinois
roadways, and 190 were killed in 2002.
The governor has made a reduction in
auto fatalities one of his priorities and set an ambitious goal for
his administration of reducing fatalities in Illinois to 1,000 or
fewer by 2008. Previous traffic safety measures signed by the
governor include:
- Banning teen drivers from carrying more than one passenger
for the first six months after receiving their license.
- Signing the primary seat belt enforcement law, which allows
officers to stop and ticket drivers for not wearing a seat belt.
- Increasing the age at which children must be in booster
seats from 4 to 8.
Officials at the Illinois Department of Transportation credit
these measures with helping reduce the number of traffic fatalities.
So far in 2005, 597 people have been killed on Illinois roads
through the first six months -- 41 fewer people than were killed
during the same period in 2004.
At the same time, seat belt use hit a new record -- growing 10
percent since Blagojevich signed the primary seatbelt enforcement
law. Before primary enforcement became law, police could not pull
you over based solely on a seatbelt violation, and usage was at 76
percent. Since Blagojevich signed the bill into law, safety belt
usage climbed to 83 percent in June of 2004 and 86 percent in June
of 2005.
"We've certainly made progress in terms of reducing fatalities
and encouraging greater seat belt use," said Illinois Department of
Transportation Secretary Timothy W. Martin. "But we've still got
more work to do. These measures signed by the governor should help
save more lives."
[News release from the governor's
office] |
