Comments on: Illinois: Cell phone & texting laws, legislation

By: Tamela Williford

Tamela Williford — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 04:58:47 +0000

I feel that we should stop the restrictions at the hands-free point. At some point the government is infringing on the rights of a citizen to just have a conversation. Making everyone abide to a hands-free law should be as far as they go. What is the difference between talking hands-free and having a conversation with someone, say your 7 year old, in the back seat? There is no difference. You have to occasionally look in the back seat just like you might at your phone. You may occasionally have to ask them to repeat themselves or listen more intently because the other person isn’t clear. What will be next for our legislature? No talking to anyone in your car while it is in motion? No transporting children without a second person riding with to address the children’s needs? At some point this gets ridiculous as the bottom line is driving is dangerous no matter what. We all need to do our share to be careful on our own without the government ruling that sucking on a tic tac is distracting. And if we screw up, then take responsibility for it and pay the consequences. More people die from bad nutrition choices or smoking than driving while talking on the phone. I don’t see that being banned yet…

By: AverageJoe

AverageJoe — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:32:26 +0000

It would be great for IL to pass a law that makes using a cell phone while driving illegal no matter what age. About 70 to 80% of cops that I see driving are talking on their cell phone. They should be setting an example.

By: Editor

Editor — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 02:01:32 +0000

Judy: In general, adult drivers are allowed to use cell phones in Illinois. See the various restrictions at the top of this post. Illinois officials recently put out a press release about enforcement of the new federal law banning handheld cell phone use by interstate truckers. That rule is the same in all states.

By: Judy Nelson

Judy Nelson — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:45:48 +0000

I’m trying to find out if regular (not texting) use of a cell phone in your vehicle is prohibited in Illinois in 2012? Also, is it prohibited or not for truck drivers?

By: Ian

Ian — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:59:47 +0000

This boils down to our driver’s education system. We need to teach kids to DRIVE, without any stupid distractions. Kids talk on the phone, text, eat, and do makeup while they drive and it is every bit as bad as drunk driving. We should revisit and reform the driver’s education system and also encourage the use of manual transmissions… Driving stick shift forces the driver to become wholly engaged with driving. It doesn’t allow for distractions as easily because both hands and feet are used when driving. It is also cheaper, faster, and more efficient.

By: Mary

Mary — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 17:24:13 +0000

I feel these current laws don’t go far enough. Even, “hands free”, cell phone usage still requires the driver to, “divide”, his or her attention from the primary purpose – DRIVING! I don’t believe there is any call so important that it can’t wait till you return home or at work. …

Even emergency calls should be made after the caller has pulled off the roadway and can give all attention to the problem. …

Accdents involving a driver using a cell phone, texting or other such mode of communication, should, from a legal standpoint, be fined or legally prosecuted just as severly as drunk driving. Cell phone usage, texting or drunk driving are all concious decisions made by the driver, any propeerty damage, personal injury or death as a result of any of these bad decisions shoul carry the same penalties!!!

People need to put on, “thier big boy/girl pants”, and start to take mature responsibility for thier actions. If they did, then maybe the government wouldn’t have to step in. …

Driving requires all your attention, it’s a very serious privelege. Every time we get behind the wheel of a vehicle, we are accepting responsibility, not just for ourselves, but for everyone else traveling near us. We just need to grow up!

By: Tania

Tania — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 23:31:39 +0000

Patti i feel your pain but i think this whole ticketing thing is just a way for the governement to make more money. They know they can’t fully stop texting and driving so they sort of “tax” it so to speak. they can’t put everyone in jail that does it because it is a law far to often broken and we don’t have enough space in correctional facilites to do that.

By: Patti

Patti — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 06:22:25 +0000

I dont understand why people just get ticketed for texting while driving. Texting while driving is just like drunk driving. When your drunk your at least kind of trying to pay attention, when your texting your looking down at your phone your not looking up at all. Yet a drunk driver gets arrested right away and revcieves a DUI. Thats crap. My family just lost someone very special in our family because some girl was texting while driving and all she got was 3 stupid tickets. My cousin spent a month in a coma and then past away. while she’s free to do what she pleases. No it isn’t fair. And things need to be changed.

By: Kevin Russell

Kevin Russell — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 21:43:00 +0000

I was pulled over on the south side of Chicago and the officer informed me he pulled me over for talking on the phone. I informed the officer that someone was calling and i checked to see who it was, i was not speaking on the phone. He asked for my license and registration, went backk to his car, and came back with a ticket. I said i told you i was not speaking on the phone why am I getting a ticket? He said just sign it, I saw you. I responded saying I wont sign it (which is well within my rights). the officer then got very upset and said if you dont sign it ill arrest you and take you to the police station. He then opened my car door and said let’s go. Of course after that I signed it. The ticket was for 100 dollars which I did not have so I could not pay. Now the ticket came in the mail today and it says I owe 540 dollars. Is there any way I can fight this ticket or bring to light the injustice of this scenario?

By: Kristal McCool

Kristal McCool — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 16:05:49 +0000

I agree that laws need to be in place to protect the public where texting is concerned; however, I disagree that holding a cell phone in your hand while driving causes any more accidents than looking in the rear view mirror.

I disagree with the Chicago Alderman who wants cell phones equipped with software to automatically turn off when a car is moving. This in itself is dangerous because if I’m abducted, I cannot use my cell phone. If I pick up my child from school and cannot find her/him, do you really think I’m not going to have my phone on talking with whomever I can to help me find my child. These examples may be extreme, but wait until you’re caught up in a situation and see how important a cell phone is to have working.

There are other scenaros where I might need my cell phone while the vehicle is moving and I think none of those issues are being raised. The entire focus is one sided.

With respect to Joseph Sroka, when you become a black person, living in a black environment and having to deal with police harassment on a constant basis, maybe you’d be better equipped to determine the difference between a race card and truth. Bringing up a race card is just non-black people’s way of taking the focus off of what they are doing against black people. You should follow your own advice and try to be smarter than a 5th grader.