When you’re talking business on the way to work today or gossiping with friends while stuck in a traffic jam, keep your hands off that mobile phone.
Those who do not comply with a new ordinance requiring drivers to use a hands-free mobile phone kit while driving will face a $50 fine, increased to $200 if a traffic violation occurs while the driver is holding a mobile phone. Chicago police spokesman Pat Camden said drivers will get a one-day grace period even though the ordinance goes into effect on Friday.
“Come Saturday, we will start enforcing this law the way we do any other primary offense, like not wearing a seat belt,” explained Camden. “If you are driving down the street with a cell phone in hand, you’ll be cited.”
Ald. Burton Natarus (42nd) introduced the ordinance and fought successfully for its passage, more than five years after he originally raised the topic in 1999.
“Back then, the response was basically a giggle,” Natarus said. “Everybody thought this would be a form of harassment and give the police more reasons to pull over drivers. But it’s no more harassment than being pulled over for not wearing your seat belt.”
Of course, mobile phones are but one of many competing distractions on the road. In 2000, AAA Chicago conducted a survey that revealed:
– 62 percent of drivers admitted to adjusting the radio multiple times
– 52 percent said they ate while steering
– 62 percent turned their eyes away from the road to talk to other passengers
“Driving distractions as a whole can lead to unsafe conditions, but that could include applying makeup, shaving or turning around to discipline a child,” said Kris Lathan, director of public affairs for AAA Chicago.
“We agree that it is best not to talk on a cell phone while driving, but we just don’t have the data to say that the government needs to mandate or evoke legislation on this issue.”
Instead of issuing tickets, Lathan says it would be more productive to educate drivers about all the activities that impair their focus. Though debate continues, Chicago drivers seem to be adapting to the new rule, according to regional representatives for Verizon and Cingular.
“Right after the legislation passed, we definitely saw a spike in sales [of hands-free kits], somewhere around 20 percent,” said Verizon Wireless spokeswoman Carolyn Schamberger.
Cingular Wireless spokesman Chris Comes says his company braced itself for an increase in hands-free kit sales in its Chicago stores, with Bluetooth-equipped wireless headsets being especially popular. Bluetooth, a short-range radio technology for mobile devices and the Internet, allows users to wear a headset that connects wirelessly to their mobile phone.
“With Bluetooth, you can put your cell phone in the cup-holder, in the seat next to you or in your pocket,” Comes said. “Users like that it allows freedom from wires.”
Drivers around the state should take heed as Ald. Natarus works to extend the law beyond the city limits.
“I promised that I would go to Springfield this fall and help make this a statewide rule,” Natarus said. “They’re passing laws like this in countries all over the world. It’s for safety, and I hope people will comply.”
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The exceptions
There are some cases where drivers can still “hold the phone” while inside a car, according to Chicago’s ordinance:
– Law enforcement officers and operators of emergency vehicles can use a mobile phone without a hands-free device while on duty and acting in an official capacity.
– Drivers can use a mobile phone without a hands-free device if they are calling 911 or other emergency telephone numbers.
– A driver can use a cell phone if the car is parked and not in gear.
Source: City of Chicago
Mobile phone facts
A 2003 national market research study of mobile phone use found that:
– Two out of every five minutes spent on a mobile phone are while the user is driving.
– 87 percent of mobile phone users use the phones in the car some of the time.
– Less than 20 percent of drivers on cell phones usually or always use a hands-free device.
