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 Illinois drivers this summer will face more serious penalties
for texting behind the wheel.
House Bill 4846, which takes effect July 1, will count first-time incidences of
driving while operating a handheld mobile device as a “moving violation.” Under
state law, moving violations appear on motorists’ driving record, and drivers
who receive three moving violations in a year see their driver’s license
suspended.
Prior to HB 4846, state law treated first offenses of distracted driving as a
“nonmoving violation,” so only repeat offenses appeared on motorists’ driving
record.
First-time moving and nonmoving violations both carry a fine of $75 dollars,
which increases gradually with each additional offense.
 Former Gov. Bruce Rauner signed HB 4846 into law in August 2018. Gov. J.B.
Pritzker is considering a proposal that would increase the initial fine to
$1,000 in the event that distracted driving causes an accident resulting in
serious bodily harm, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Under HB 4846, drivers may not operate a mobile handheld device for any reason
while the car is in “drive,” including for GPS or music control. “If your phone
is in your hand, that’s a violation,” one law enforcement official told WBWN-FM.
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The law makes some exceptions: Drivers using a
handheld device to contact emergency personnel, for example, would
not face a fine; nor would drivers using their mobile devices while
parked on the side of the road.
A study by Volvo found that 71% of Americans admit
to using their phone while driving despite knowing it is illegal,
and that younger drivers are less likely than their parents to use
their phone while on the road.
According to research from the National Highway Transportation
Safety Administration, or NHTSA, over 600,000 drivers nationwide are
using their cellphones at any given moment in time. NHTSA also found
that 25% of police-reported collisions involve drivers using their
cellphone, and that texting while driving is six times more
dangerous than impaired driving. Looking away from the road for just
five seconds at 55 miles per hour is the equivalent of driving
distracted for the length of a football field, according to NHTSA.
By imposing stiffer penalties, state lawmakers and law enforcement
officials hope to minimize drivers’ electronic distractions while
behind the wheel.
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