Texting while driving ban advances

SPRINGFIELD - Bans on texting while driving and talking on a cell phone in a school or construction zone both moved closer to becoming law Tuesday after winning separate approvals in the state Senate.

Under the texting ban drivers would be barred from reading or writing electronic messages on phones while driving, unless pulled over on the side of the road or parked in traffic due to an accident. GPS devices are not included in the ban.

Senators approved the ban 45-6, with seven members voting present, even as some senators expressed concern about enforcement.

"How the heck is a police officer going to know from another vehicle whether you're looking at a GPS device or whether you're texting?" said state Sen. Kwame Raoul, a Chicago Democrat.

Drivers could simply show their phone's text messaging logs to a police officer to prove they were not texting, said state Sen. Dave Syverson, a Rockford Republican.

If ultimately signed into law by Gov. Pat Quinn, Illinois would be the first state in the nation to approve a ban on texting while driving.

Secretary of State Jesse White supports both proposals.

The Senate approved the ban on cell phone use in school or construction zones 32-16, with seven members voting present. It's not a total ban, though. Drivers could still talk on a phone in those areas so long the device is hands-free.

However, some senators were concerned that parents picking up their children at school would be inconvenienced by the ban.

"It's just going to eliminate the coordination function that you use the cell phone for as you're picking up kids," said state Sen. Chris Lauzen, an Aurora Republican.

The state House has already approved both proposals but must agree to changes made to the measures by the Senate before they can go to Quinn.