It’s been a hard habit for many of us to break, but Texting and Driving is one of the most dangerous things we can do. And as of July 1st, 2019, texting while driving in Illinois will now count as a moving violation. And if you get three moving violations in a year, your license will be suspended.
Smartphones have become such a HUGE part of our daily lives, it’s hard not to grab your phone when you get a notification, but it can save lives to keep your hands away from your phone and your eyes on the road if you are behind the wheel.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that at any given moment over 600,000 people are on their phones while driving, and it’s been proven that if you look away from the road for just 5 seconds, it is equivalent to driving the length of a football field blindfolded at 55mph. And in real life, as we know, the football field is filled with other cars, other drivers, other passengers, and alot of opportunity for something bad to happen if you take your eyes off the road, even for just five seconds.
And even though we know it is illegal, and completely unsafe, many admit they still do it anyway. Almost 71% of Americans admit they use their cell phones while driving.
Want to know the real shocker??? A disctracted driving study put out by volvo this year showed that Generation Z drivers (youngest drivers on the road) are LESS likely to use their phones while driving then their parents.
As of July 1, 2019 texting while driving in Illinois will count as a moving violation. This also includes operating the GPS on your phone, playing music, etc. In fact, Illinois State Police say if you get caught with your phone in your hand, that’s a violation.
So, maybe the thought of a moving violation will get those numbers down?
6-11-19
