Page 31 - The Peorian Vol 3 Issue 1 Winter

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thePeorian.com
The Present
‘HANG UP THE PHONE, SIR!’
New law will penalize drivers for talking on phones
By Tim Rosenberger
In 2009, to make the
roads safer and to help
reduce automobile
accidents, Illinois became the
17th state to make texting while
driving illegal.
Now, the state has gone one
step further by enacting a law
that bans drivers from talking on
cell phones. It has been met with
mostly positive feedback from
some central Illinois residents,
but the law might also have some
flaws.
The new law will take effect on
Jan. 1, 2014, and it deems it illegal
for a driver to talk on any hand-
held device. Hands-free devices,
like Bluetooth or OnStar, and
phones on speaker may still be
used. First offenses will cost $75
and later offenses will be as much
as $150. Drivers could also be hit
with moving violations, which
could result in a license being
suspended if three violations
occur within one year.
Despite these fines and
punishments, some Peorians, like
58 year-old Charles Brown, think
the law is a good idea. Brown is
worried that the law will meet
resistance similar to seatbelt and
motorcycle helmet laws in the
past, but he thinks people will get
used to.
He also thinks there is a bit
more safety with hands-free
devices. Operating a phone
with your hands can physically
distract you, Brown says. Hands-
free devices, though, physically
free the driver up and only use
half of his or her brain.
Studies reported by the
Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety back up those claims to a
certain extent. IIHS had found
little evidence of conversations
being less distracting with hands-
free devices, according to its
website. There are possibly less
visual and physical distractions
than are caused by hand-held
phones, but the cognitive
distraction of talking on a phone
is just as high with hands-free
and hand-held devices.
The AAA had similar findings
from its own study, the results
of which can be found at www.
aaa.chicago.com. In fact, that
organization is asking drivers not
to use any devices while driving,
hands-free or otherwise.
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