Village May Ban Cell Phone Use While Driving

Northbrook could soon follow in the footsteps of Winnetka, Evanston and Highland Park, all of which have banned the use of handheld cell phones while driving.

At Tuesday night’s village board meeting, trustees gave the go-ahead to the public safety committee to start discussions on such a prohibition. The issue came to the board’s attention at a previous meeting, when a resident asked trustees to consider such an ordinance, according to Village President Sandra Frum.

During this week's meeting, trustee James Karagianis said he thought it was “quite appropriate” for the village to regulate handheld cell phone use by motorists.

Frum said it was at least worth a discussion, but other board members disagreed.

Trustee Kathryn Ciesla said she did not think the issue should be regulated by the village board.

“I would prefer not to refer it anywhere,” she said. “I’m not interested in pursuing this.”

Later, she explained that she thought such legislation was restrictive.

“I think it’s an infringement on our civil liberties--period,” she said.

One of her colleagues, trustee Robert Israel, said he was not in favor of a ban because he considered it a statewide issue. He noted the state had not banned handheld cell phone use by those behind the wheel.

However, a bill that passed in January 2010 amended the Illinois Vehicle Code to prohibit cell phone use in active school zones or construction zones. It also prohibits texting while driving.

Eight states, including California and New York, have banned the use of handheld cell phones while driving. In 2005, Chicago implemented an ordinance that imposed fines ranging from $75 if pulled over by police for talking on a cell phone to $200 if a conversing motorist was involved in an accident.

The National Safety Council reported that cell phone use in motor vehicles caused an estimated 636,000 crashes a year. 

Trustee Todd Heller said a village ban should be more comprehensive than simply handheld cell phones.

“There’s a lot more out there that to me distracts people--more than cell phones,” he said. “People do lots of weird things while driving—drinking soup, putting on makeup.”

While considering a ban on handheld cell phone use in late 2010, Highland Park conducted a survey of its residents to gather their opinions. Based on 1,708 responses, nearly 80 percent of residents were in favor of a restriction requiring the use of a hands-free cellular device while driving in Highland Park. , and .

“I feel that having two hands on the wheel has to be an improvement, and is a start," then-Councilwoman Nancy Rotering said after she and her colleagues passed the ban in a 4-2 vote.

"I know that having a hands-free requirement has stopped me in my tracks as I cross into those towns [Glencoe, Winnetka, Evanston and Chicago] with that restriction,” said Rotering, who has since been elected the mayor of Highland Park.

A date has not yet been set for the public safety committee's discussion on developing a ban, said Kendal Dean, management analyst for the Village of Northbrook.