Currently it is against the law to text and drive in the city of Chicago and throughout the state of Illinois. Despite these recent law changes, Chicago aldermen are looking to strengthen local texting and driving ordinances. The Chicago Tribune recently reported that Chicago alderman, Ed Burke, has proposed legislation that would mandate cell phones sold in Chicago come equipped with a way for parents to disable texting features for their teenagers. The proposal aims to prevent auto accidents caused by teens who text while they drive. Specifically the feature would require all cell phones sold in the City to offer a special feature allowing parents to block their teenaged children from texting while driving. The legislation currently proposes that those who sell phone without the blocking feature would face fines up to $1,000.
This is a very strict proposal, but, no doubt, sends a message to the Chicago community that the city counsel takes this issue seriously. I think there are a lot of questions that would need to be answered before this goes into law such as how do you regulate manufacturers, distributors and sellers. And, more specifically, how much would that cost. Regardless, this is a positive step towards helping make our roads safer.
If you or someone you know has been involved in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury attorney, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free consultation at 312-588-3384 or go to the firm website at www.blgchicago.com.