Using Cell Phones While Driving
In Illinois, using a cell phone while driving, is illegal and results in a ticket or fine. More than half of the people on the road today have a cell phone and most of them need to use it quite frequently; whether it be to communicate to people for their job or getting directions to a family party. Driving with a cell phone should not be illegal for several reasons.
First, drivers should use be able to use their cell phones for emergencies. If something happens while a driver is in motion and needs to make a call for help or directions, they should be able to spend a couple minutes on the phone to ask for help or receive those directions so they are not a problem on the road. If they don’t receive those directions the driver could be pulling u-turns or slowing down constantly and that could cause delays or other problems on the road. Or if their car is malfunctioning they could place a call and ask what to do without having to pull over and cross several lanes to do so. If then, the person tells them to pull over on the side of the road to fix the problem; they should then proceed to do so. Using cell phones while driving shouldn’t be illegal if they are used for emergencies.
Second, Drivers who travel long distances for work should be able to use their cell phones to contact work. If a driver is stuck in traffic and knows they are going to be late; they should be able to contact their supervisor and let them know they will be late. If drivers cannot contact their work, they could start to speed and be careless on the road, and that could lead to dangerous conditions on the road for not only the driver but everyone else around them. Contacting work using cell phones while driving should not be illegal.
Lastly, and most important, drivers should be able to communicate on cell phones if qualified to do so. All drivers should have to take a driving test and qualify to have a license in order to operate a vehicle on the road....