Illinois Bans Cell Phone Use By Drivers Under 18

Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich recently signed several new laws focused on teenage drivers. One new law bans drivers under the age of 18 from using cell phones.

A second law requires drivers under 18 to make sure that their teen passengers are properly buckled up in the front and back seats. Traffic crashes are the leading cause of teenage fatalities -- and teenage drivers have a fatality rate that is nearly two times higher than older drivers. Illinois joins a handful of states that restrict teenagers from using cell phones while driving.

"We know that cell phones can be distracting. And most of us remember how distracting it can be just to be a teenager. On the roads, that combination can be especially dangerous, which is why it's important to enact legislation that prohibits teenagers from using their cell phones while driving," said Gov. Blagojevich.

Senate Bill 210, sponsored by Sen. John Cullerton (D-Chicago) and Rep. Paul Froehlich (R-Schaumburg), bans cell phone use by drivers under 18 -- except in an emergency.

According to the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Maryland, Maine, Connecticut, Tennessee, New Jersey, Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia and now Illinois, ban cell phone use for teenage drivers.