 "When motorists text and drive, they are putting themselves and
others in serious danger," said Illinois Transportation Secretary
Gary Hannig. "We are pleased to be among the 19 states that have
outlawed texting and driving, and we are confident it will lead to
fewer crashes and fatalities in Illinois."On Aug. 6, Gov. Pat
Quinn signed into law
House Bill 71 and
House Bill 72. The new laws ban motorists from sending text
messages while driving in Illinois and make it illegal to talk on a
cell phone while driving through a highway construction zone or
school zone. In addition, it will become illegal to compose, send or
read text messages, instant messages and e-mail on a cell phone or
surf the Internet while driving. The ban also includes personal
digital assistants and portable or mobile computers, but does not
include global positioning systems or navigation systems.
"With the increased use of technological devices, distracted
driving has become a serious problem in our state and in the
nation," said Secretary of State Jesse White. "These new laws are
important and will make our roads safer. No driver has any business
text-messaging while they are driving. Additionally, school zones
and construction zones require drivers to slow down and pay special
attention to their surroundings, and as a result, they should not be
using a cell phone."
Research shows that driving while using a cell phone poses a
serious distraction and reduces driver performance. The National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that driver
distraction from all sources contributes to 25 percent of all
police-reported traffic crashes.
"Every time a driver takes their eyes or their focus off the road
-- even for just a few seconds -- they put their lives and the lives
of others in danger," said National Highway Traffic Safety Regional
Administrator Michael Witter. "Distracted driving is unsafe,
irresponsible, and its consequences can be devastating."
To create awareness regarding the dangers of distracted driving,
IDOT is airing three commercials on cable TV and radio outlets
statewide. One of the public service announcements features the
Wilhelm family, whose son Matt was killed by a distracted driver.
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In Illinois, numerous programs have been introduced in an effort to
curb distracted driving. The nationally recognized Operation Teen
Safe Driving program is a statewide initiative spearheaded by the
Illinois Department of Transportation's Division of Traffic Safety
and supported by the Ford Motor Company Fund and the Allstate
Foundation. The program enlists young people to teach safe driving
skills to their peers. Operation Teen Safe Driving engages high
school students in a competition to design community-based driver
safety programs for teens.
As 2009 comes to a close, Illinois' end-of-the-year traffic
enforcement initiative called Operation Save 100 continues to
challenge law enforcement to stay extra vigilant for the remainder
of the year in an effort to have at least 100 less fatalities on
Illinois roadways this year compared with last year. If successful,
Illinois will set a historic record by experiencing the fewest motor
vehicle fatalities since 1921. Operation Save 100 began Nov. 13. To
date, 200 Illinois local law enforcement agencies, county sheriff's
departments and the Illinois State Police have made over 1,000 DUI
arrests and issued over 7,000 nighttime safety belt citations.
"The use of cell phones, e-mail, text messaging devices and other
potentially distracting behaviors, when combined with the operation
of a vehicle, can threaten the lives and safety of motorists,
passengers and pedestrians," said Illinois State Police Director
Jonathon Monken. "The ISP encourages drivers to take simple
precautions to make our roads safer by practicing good driving
habits and limiting distractions which could potentially have tragic
consequences."
For information regarding the IDOT's Division of Traffic Safety,
go to
www.dot.state.il.us/safety.html.
[Text from
Illinois
Department of Transportation
file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information] |
