On Wednesday, the Illinois House of Representatives passed two bills supported by the Distracted Driving Task Force. HB 71 and 72 would prohibit most use of text messaging by drivers, and ban mobile phone use in highway construction or school zones.
Illinois has more than 6,000 crashes each year involving pedestrians that result in more than 1,000 serious injuries and 170 deaths. Many of these are due to distracted drivers. HB 71 and 72 will help make our roads safer.
Thank you to the overwhelming majority of House members who voted for HB 71 and 72, and to Secretary of State Jesse White for championing these bills.
There is still more to do.
HB 43, sponsored by Rep. Luis Arroyo and Sen. Heather Steans, will require drivers to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks. Help us achieve our goal of reducing crashes by 50% by calling your Senators and asking them to co-sponsor HB 43.
For more information, please call Dan Persky at 312-427-3325 Ext. 229 or email [email protected].