Proposal calls for stiffer penalties for distracted drivers
A former prosecutor and state lawmaker is seeking to toughen penalties for distracted drivers who wind up killing someone - putting them more on par with those doled out to drivers who take a life while under the influence of alcohol.
State Rep. Robert Martwick of Norridge, a former Cook County assistant state's attorney, wants a conviction for aggravated use of an electronic device while driving to be a Class 2 felony rather than a Class 4 felony.
That would mean serving prison time of about 20 months instead of a minimal amount of jail time, said Martwick, who filed the legislation last month.
"I want to change the felony classification to give the penalty more teeth," Martwick said.
"We made a huge dent in DUI prosecution when we raised the penalties to send a message to people: 'Don't do this - you'll be sorry if you do,'" he said.
By the same token, when people decide "to respond to a text message while going 75 mph on our roads and do so without impairment, they're making a conscious decision that places the life of others at great peril," Martwick said.
Last fall, a team of Daily Herald journalists found more than 1,000 people breaking Illinois' hands-free driving law between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 23, at 10 major intersections in the suburbs.
Nearly two drivers every minute - or five drivers every three minutes - illegally texted or talked on their cellphones.
Martwick said he hopes to add the Illinois Secretary of State's office and the Active Transportation Alliance as sponsors.