With advances in wireless technology, the cell phone is, in many cases, no longer merely a phone. Many come equipped with cameras, MP3 players, maps, texting capabilities — there is an app for nearly everything. While the devices bring increasing options for their multi-tasking owners, using one in a work zone could come with a price — $75 to be exact.
Many drivers discovered this last week as Illinois State Police and the Illinois Department of Transportation worked together to educate drivers on laws that are enforced in an attempt to keep attention on the road when workers are present.
“We’ve been getting a lot of complaints about noncompliance with people being on their cell phones in construction zones, which was made illegal this year,” Illinois State Trooper Dustin Pierce said.
The law, which also applies to school zones, went into effect Jan. 1.
State police and IDOT are taking a new approach this construction season to keep workers safe.
During a distracted driver detail June 8, a state trooper held the slow/stop sign in a construction zone on Route 8 in Sunnyland, observed drivers as they passed and called out violations of the law to a group of troopers waiting in a nearby parking lot. The violators were pulled over and ticketed.
Fines for using cell phones in a construction or school zone and texting while driving are $75. Fines for speeding in a construction zone start at $375.
“It’s not like we’re picking on people; we’re just working with state police to enforce the law,” said IDOT spokesman Brian Williamsen.
The detail began June 7 on Route 6 in Peoria. On that day, in Peoria, there were 122 citations issued. Troopers issued 103 cell phone citations. The remaining 19 tickets went to non valid drivers, drivers not wearing seat belts and a lone texter.
Pierce said details, such as those conducted last week, will continue throughout the summer to help put an end to cell phone use in construction zones.
Pierce took a turn holding the sign and found that many of the violators knew they were not obeying the law.
“It appeared that a very large percentage of the people knew the law, but they would either jerk the phone down when they saw me or throw it down on the passenger seat,” he said. “There were very few that went by and actually stayed on the phone.”
According to cyberdriveillinois.com, driver distractions or inattentive driving play a part in one out of every four motor vehicle crashes. That is more than 1.5 million crashes a year.
“Our mission is safety at IDOT,” Williamsen added. “We’re just all about keeping driver’s safe and certainly keeping workers safe.”
Pierce agreed.
“We want the people to comply and to save lives,” he said.
