Distracted Driving

Distraction happens anytime you take your eyes off the road, your hands off the wheel, or your mind off the task of driving safely. Any non-driving activity (texting, talking on a cell or smartphone, eating or drinking, grooming, reading, using GPS, watching videos, or adjusting music) can increase your risk of a crash.

Texting is especially dangerous because it combines manual, visual, and cognitive distraction all at once. In 2012, distracted driving contributed to over 3,300 deaths and 421,000 injuries nationwide. Reading or sending a text takes your eyes off the road for about 4.6 seconds, long enough to drive more than the length of a football field at 55 mph, essentially blindfolded.

Effective January, 2014

The State of Illinois enacts a law making it illegal to operate a motor vehicle on a roadway while using a handheld electronic communication device. An electronic communication device is described as an electronic device, including but not limited to a hand-held wireless telephone, a hand-held personal digital assistant, or a portable or mobile computer. The law does not apply when a driver is using the device in an emergency, a driver is using the device in hands-free mode, a driver is parked on the shoulder of a roadway, or a driver stops in obstructed traffic while the vehicle is in neutral or park.

Effective March 2010

The City of Evanston enacts an ordinance banning the use of handheld mobile telephones while operating a motor vehicle. “Mobile telephone” is described as a cellular, analog, wireless, or digital telephone capable of sending or receiving telephone messages without an access line for service. “Use” is described as talking or listening to another person, text messaging, sending, reading, or listening to an electronic message, or browsing the Internet.

Effective January, 2010

The State of Illinois enacts a law stating that a person, regardless of age, may not use a wireless telephone in a school speed zone, construction zone, or maintenance speed zone. The state of Illinois also made it illegal for any person to operate a vehicle on the roadway while using an electronic communication device to compose, send, or read an electronic message.