Like it or not, cell phone use is a part of life in the 21st century. People use their phones for everything regardless of rules against their use in cars, public transportation, and certain public spaces like gyms, restaurants, and churches. Statistics have shown that driving a car while using a cell phone can cause accidents.
Taking one hand off the steering wheel to hold a phone to one's ear is dangerous, and taking one's eyes off the road to read a text message is even more so. According to the National Safety Council, approximately one quarter of car accidents in 2014 were caused by a driver's cell phone use.
Illinois, as well as many other states, has outlawed cell phone use while driving. However, thousands of drivers routinely ignore these laws, putting pedestrians and other motorists at risk.
Since we cannot keep drivers from using their phones while in their cars, the question becomes: how can we make it safer for them to do so? One option is to provide drivers with areas where they can pull
off the road, park, and safely respond to calls and text messages.
A Safe Place to Text, Talk, and Navigate in Illinois
Travelers Marketing teamed up with the Illinois Tollway to develop the Safe Phone Zone Program, a program that provides six phone-friendly areas along Illinois highways. This program has been implemented in Arizona and Virginia, and a similar program exists in New York as well.
These areas will provide outdoor seating and free wi-fi to travelers. Verizon Wireless and iStar Financial Inc. are sponsoring the program. The goal of these zones is to reduce the number of accidents that occur on Illinois highways by removing distracted drivers from the road, giving them a safe place to use their phones and other mobile devices, such as laptops and tablets.
Safety Tips for Illinois Drivers
There are lots of ways you can make your car trip safer by eliminating the temptation to use your cell phone or eliminating the need to use your hands to make calls. Consider implementing the following next time you go for a drive:
Make use of a Bluetooth headset or OnStar capabilities in your car to make your phone hands-free while driving.
If you are traveling with a passenger, have him or her take over phone duties and respond to your calls or texts on your behalf.
Put your phone in the glove compartment or back seat where you will not be able to reach it while driving. That way, you will not be tempted to respond to it when it rings. Similarly, consider putting your phone on silent mode when you are driving.
Familiarize yourself with Illinois' new safe phone zones and the rest areas on Illinois highways. If you need to make a phone call or check your messages, do so at one of these stops.
If you are a parent of a teen driver, take the time to talk with him or her about the danger of cell phone use while driving.
If You Are Involved in a Lake County Car Accident
The first thing you need to do following a car accident is check on your passengers and any other drivers involved with the collision. Call an ambulance immediately if anybody is injured.
Following this, document all damage to the involved vehicles and call the police. It is important that you get a police report and time stamped photographic evidence of all damage if you want to file a claim for damage to your vehicle. If you have been injured and want to file a personal injury claim, seek medical attention as soon as you can.
After you have received medical attention for your injury, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer to begin working on your claim. He or she can help you through the process of getting the necessary documentation in order and filing your claim against the responsible party's insurance provider.
