Illinois ranks tops for safety on the road

Illinois is among the top 10 states for enacting laws that protect drivers and the public, according to a report released Monday.

The study "Teens, Texting and Tragedy," by Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety focused on legislation involving distracted driving, young motorists and drunken drivers.

Illinois ranked third just behind the District of Columbia and New Jersey for adopting laws that Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety endorse. These include a ban on texting while driving that went into effect Jan. 1.

The report noted that there's room for improvement, however. Safety advocates said the state is still missing a law requiring motorcycle riders to wear helmets and wanted tighter restrictions on rules guiding teen driving at nighttime and the age for a learner's permit.

Currently Illinois law, restricts driving from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Friday and Saturday for teens ages 15 through 17.

The time frame recommended by the report's authors is a uniform restriction from 10 p.m. through 5 a.m.

Illinois has set 15 as the age to obtain a learner's permit while the study opts for age 16.

Illinois Secretary of State's office officials said the findings reflect efforts to save lives. According to Illinois State Police, the number of teens killed in crashes has dropped over three years, from 143 in 2007 to 85 in 2008 and 70 in 2009.

"We have some momentum on our side," Illinois Secretary of State office spokesman Henry Haupt said.

The national report also noted that crash fatalities overall decreased from 37,261 people in 2008 compared to 41,059 in 2007. However, researchers cautioned that the economic downturn also factored into the statistics.

Among the 10 worst states, South Dakota was tops. The study noted it lagged in comprehensive seat belt laws, booster-seat legislation, teen driving restrictions and text-messaging limits.