24 March, 2019

Illinois Enforcement Effort Aims to Reduce Distracted Driving

Distracted driving due to use of cell phones and text messaging is a documented menace on America’s roads. Federal data shows that nearly 6,000 people died in 2008 from motor vehicle accidents involving a distracted driver, and over 500,000 more were injured.

Research from the University of Utah has concluded that cell phone use while driving, whether it’s hands-free or not, is comparable to having a blood-alcohol concentration of .08 percent – the legal limit in most states.

Not surprisingly, then, states are attempting to respond to this veritable epidemic of distracted driving by passing laws attempting to limit cell phone use behind the wheel. Illinois is one of 30 states that have passed restrictions of various types on cell phone use and text messaging by drivers.

Enforcement of Illinois’ Cell Phone Restrictions

The Illinois law took effect in January 2010 and had two main parts. One part was to ban talking on cell phones while driving in construction and school zones. The other part banned texting while driving entirely.

With two weeks left in the year, Illinois state police reported that they had already issued 4,236 citations and 2,629 warnings on the construction and school zone portion of the law. The texting ban had produced another 929 citations and warnings.

This adds up to nearly 7,900 traffic stops to enforce the cell phone and texting restrictions. The total figure is surely much higher because the state police figures do not include citations or warnings issued by local (county or municipal) police agencies.

Technology and Common Sense

As important as legal restrictions are, law enforcement cannot tackle the huge societal problem of distracted driving on its own. As U.S. transportation secretary Ray LaHood noted recently, good laws and good enforcement have to go along with personal responsibility and appropriate use of technological solutions.

For example, text-blocking technology, which can disable cell-phones while cars are in motion, may be one way to use technology to prevent technological distractions in the first place. The Transportation Department is looking at the role that this technology may play going forward.

But Secretary LaHood is quite right that personal responsibility has to remain central. Even in an age of fancy gadgets, there is no substitute for common sense and sound judgment. What this means, for drivers, is willing to put away cell phones and other devices when they get behind the wheel and start the car.

Contact the reliable Chicago accident injury attorneys at The Horwitz Law Group for a free consultation.

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Type of Case: Mass Transit Accident (Metra) Result: $2.1 million dollars “I was in a Metra Train Accident in September 2005, and I hired Mark Horwitz as my lawyer. My experience with Mark has been wonderful. He’s very considerate. He’s caring. Every time he calls me, the first thing that he says is, how are you feeling and how is your family, and I really, really appreciate that. If I didn’t have Mark Horwitz as my lawyer, I think I’d…

Marie B

Former Chicago Police Officer Type of Injury: Premises Liability Accident Resulting in Below the Knee Amputation Result: $1,400,000.00 “After all my experiences with attorneys, Mark Horwitz was one of the finest attorneys I’ve ever met. He not only was my attorney, he was my friend. He extended himself far more beyond the attorney/client relationship. I couldn’t ask for a better attorney. I couldn’t ask for a better friend. And I would definitely, without question, recommend him to anyone who needs…

Charles B.

Type of Injury: Personal Injury Initial Offer: $50,000.00 Jury Verdict:$1,197,000.00 Johnnie B. W. Jr. was a professional basketball player back in the 1970s. In 2002 while getting off a CTA red line train, the trainman closed the doors on Mr. Williams while he was exiting the train. At the time, Mr. Williams was wearing a backpack that became lodged in the doors. The train began to move and Mr. W. ran along the platform until the train’s speed prevented him…

Johnnie W.

Type of Injury: Personal Injury Final Offer: $75,000.00 Final Judgment: $100,000.00 On October 7, 2007, Ms. Bogan was driving her automobile on Interstate 57 when she noticed a car stopped in one of the moving lanes. When she looked to see what was happening, she saw a man slumped over his steering wheel who was not moving. Being a good Samaritan, Ms. Bogan parked her vehicle in front of the disabled vehicle and got out to see if the driver…

Kimberly B.

Type of Injury: Personal Injury Final Offer: $60,000.00 Final Settlement: $100,000.00 In the summer of 2008, the father of a minor child (whose name is withheld because he is 5 years old) backed over his son while leaving his home. The child had gone under the car to retrieve a Mr. Potato Head doll that had rolled under the car. The father, not knowing his son was under the car, started it and backed down the driveway. Hearing screams, he…

Tanya M.

Type of Injury: Car Accident Final Offer: $60,000.00 Final Judgment: $175,000.00 Rosetta Glover was a passenger in her husband’s car traveling on Martin Luther King Drive. A cab came around their car and made a sudden U turn in front of them causing the accident. Ms. Glover sustained an injury to her shoulder which required an immediate surgery. She hired another Chicago lawyer who obtained a settlement offer from the cab company for $60,000.00 and told Ms. Glover to accept…

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Lamiela P.

My daughter was severely injured in a car accident and I was nervous about finding a personal injury attorney, but from the start, I felt confident with my choice in the Horwitz Law Group. Mark was completely professional, trustworthy, communicative, honest and helpful. He kept my daughter focused throughout her entire recovery, both emotionally and medically. He was extremely attentive and responsive answering each and every question I had in a timely manner and explained everything in laymen terms -…

Steve S.

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$1,200,000.00

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$1,197,000.00

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$175,000.00

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$100,000.00

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$100,000.00

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Illinois Enforcement Effort Aims to Reduce Distracted Driving

Enforcement of Illinois’ Cell Phone Restrictions

Technology and Common Sense

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Kelly S.

Annisha W.

Danny F.

Darlene W.

Marie B

Charles B.

Johnnie W.

Kimberly B.

Tanya M.

Rosetta G.

Lamiela P.

Steve S.

Case Results

$4,500,000.00

$2,100,000.00

$2,300,000.00

$1,400,000.00

$1,200,000.00

$1,197,000.00

$175,000.00

$100,000.00

$100,000.00

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