A new Illinois law that prohibits using handheld devices while driving went into effect statewide Jan. 1, following the passage of similar ordinances in Evanston and other municipalities.
“More drivers will be aware of the state law,” Evanston Police Cmdr. Jay Parrott said.
Under the law, drivers caught using handheld devices such as cell phones will face a $75 fine for the first offense, a $100 fine for the second offense, a $125 fine for the third and a $150 fine for any subsequent offenses. After four offenses, drivers also face a possible suspension of their driver’s license.
The Evanston City Council unanimously passed a similar ordinance in 2010. If drivers are caught using handheld devices while driving in the city, drivers have to pay $50 each time without possible loss of driving privileges, Parrott said. The officer who pulls a driver over decides whether they will be charged at the state or city level.
At the city level, drivers also face a possible $200 fine for being caught using a handheld device in the event of a car crash, according to the city’s website.
“In terms of hands-free technology, I think it would be a safer option,” said Weinberg junior Aash Chalasani, who drives in Evanston but was not aware of either the Evanston ordinance or the new state law. “It will for sure have an impact.”
Ald. Jane Grover (7th), sponsor of the Evanston ordinance, said car crash rates dropped following the passage of Evanston’s cell phone ban. According to EPD statistics, the city saw a 17 percent reduction in road-related crashes and 14.5 percent reduction in injury-related crashes between 2009 and 2012. Grover praised Illinois’ passage of the ban, saying although there may not be a causal relationship between cell phone usage and reported crashes, there is certainly a correlation.
“I hope statewide we will see the same results,” Grover said.
Grover added Evanston helped in pushing toward a statewide ban as one of the first municipalities to enact such an ordinance.
More than 100 citations for cell phone violations were issued in the last week of December, according to an EPD newsletter. Parrott said citations under the law fluctuate and cell phone usage while driving is “still (a) prominent violation.”
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @news_BaileyW
