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The measure was originally introduced by state Rep. La Shawn
Ford, D-Chicago, and Illinois Secretary of State Alexi
Giannoulias in March.
“Pulling someone over for merely having an air freshener
attached to the rearview mirror is not only archaic, it’s
ridiculous,” Giannoulias said.
Dante Wright, 20, was shot and killed by a Minnesota police
officer in 2021, and his mother said it started when he was
pulled over for having an air freshener hanging from his
rearview mirror. The officer that stopped Wright had been
reaching for her taser gun, but instead grabbed her pistol.
Ford said changing the law will help keep communities safer as
it would reduce the number of interactions police have with
drivers for non-violent violations.
“Why increase the chance of law enforcement being in situations
that are non-life threatening,” Ford said.
The Illinois Sheriff’s Association and the Illinois Association
of Chiefs of Police were opposed to the measure.
Previously, Illinois law allowed law enforcement to initiate a
stop if objects were hanging from a rearview mirror, or affixed
to a windshield, on the grounds that they obstruct a motorist’s
vision. The updated law says "No motor vehicle, or driver or
passenger of such vehicle, shall be stopped or searched by any
law enforcement officer solely on the basis of a violation or
suspected violation of this subsection."
A majority of states allow objects to be attached to a car’s
rearview mirror or windshield. Other states that have a similar
law to Illinois include California and Texas.
The law goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2024.
Kevin Bessler reports on statewide issues in
Illinois for the Center Square. He has over 30 years of
experience in radio news reporting throughout the Midwest.
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