New limits on cellphone use for Illinois drivers

FRANKFORT, Ill. (AP) — Illinois drivers are coming under more pressure to stay off their cellphones as a result of new measures Gov. Pat Quinn signed into law Friday, including one that bans using a mobile device to take photos near an emergency scene.

Three of the four new laws confront the problem of drivers becoming distracted by talking or texting on their cellphones, something U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has called a “national epidemic.” LaHood, a former Illinois congressman, and other federal officials have been calling on states to crack down on distracted driving, which studies have shown is a particularly acute problem among teenage and young adult drivers.