The news stories are abundant. It is dangerous to use your cell phone to make or receive a phone call or to send or receive a text message or e-mail while you are driving. Phone conversations, text messages and e-mails can cause a driver to become distracted and to cause accidents that result in personal injuries. The Illinois state government and the Chicago Transit Authority are trying to decrease the number of accidents with some new laws that have recently been enacted.
Last week, the Chicago Transit Authority announced that it has changed its disciplinary procedures and that using a cell phone while driving a bus or operating a train will be prohibited. Train operators may not even carry a cell phone in their belongings. Bus drivers face similar prohibitions, although they are allowed to have a cell phone that is securely put away in a bag. The CTA says that 230 complaints alleging cell phone use while a vehicle was moving were reported against bus drivers and 6 similar complaints against train operators were received in the first half of 2009.
Also last week, Governor Quinn signed a law that prohibits text messaging while driving. Drivers are now only permitted to text message or to check their e-mail when they are pulled over or at a standstill in traffic.
Despite these new measures, some people are not going to comply with these laws. They will continue to use their cell phone while operating a motor vehicle. Therefore, it is important to be vigilant at all times and to consult with an Illinois personal injury attorney if you have been hurt in any type of car, truck or railway accident.