DISTRACTED DRIVING

 

DISTRACTED DRIVING LAW

 

According to the National Highway Safety Administration, there were nearly 6,000 fatalities nationwide due to distracted driving. Driver inattention, one of the leading factors in many car crashes, is due to instances of cell phone usage and texting. In an effort to deal with this traffic safety-related issue, Illinois passed two laws effective in 2010 (PA 96-130 and PA 96-131) that disallow texting while driving.

 

Illinois joined 27 other states that ban text messaging for all drivers, regardless of age (PA 96-1301). While Illinois has not banned cell phone use completely, PA 96-131 made it illegal to operate a cell phone while driving in school and construction/maintenance zones. Exemptions in both laws apply to law enforcement/emergency personnel while performing their official duties, any individuals involved in such construction or maintenance projects, individuals who may be reporting an emergency situation or if a vehicle is stopped due to normal traffic.

 

Efforts have also been made at the federal level of government with President Obama issuing Executive Order 13513, which bans federal employees from texting while driving government-owned vehicles or personal vehicles when on official government business. It is the hope of both Congressional and state legislators that these measures help slow down the nationwide epidemic of distracted driving.

 

By Mason T. McDaniel, Legislative Coordinator-Division of Traffic Safety