Illinois Outlaws Texting While Driving
The Illinois State Legislature recently made it illegal to text message while driving. A person may not operate a motor vehicle on a roadway while using an electronic communication device to compose, send, or read an electronic message. HB71 becomes effective July 1, 2009. The bill makes texting a moving violation under the traffic code, and drivers caught texting while driving a third time can lose their license and be sentencing to up to 30 days in jail. ``It’s a huge distraction and we need to stop it,’’ the sponsor, state Rep. John D’Amico, D-Chicago, said in floor debate. ``When you’re text messaging (while driving), you’re taking the lives of others into your hands.’’
Cell phone use while driving has become a hot topic throughout the country over the past few years. Missouri currently has three measures proposed that would make various uses of cell phones a traffic violation. Proponents of the ban on cell phone use often cite public safety concerns related to the increase in traffic deaths caused by cell phone use. The movement continues to create momentum even though other driving distractions such as reading a book, inattention, singing, and dancing remain unregulated.
If Missouri passes restrictions on cell phone use it will be interesting how the new law will be enforced. Will officers begin checking the call/text log of phones present in every car they stop for routine traffic violations? Will police officer’s be able to stop vehicles because they see a cell phone in use? Will the officers start using this as justification to stop certain types of vehicles/persons they would not otherwise be able to detain? This continues to be an interesting topic.
