Nearly 200 Killed By Distracted Driving In Illinois In 2020: Report

ILLINOIS — Although Illinois has strict laws on the books against texting or using a cell phone while driving and other policies to restrict distracted driving, the issue remains a deadly problem in the state and across the country, according to a new study.

Distracted driving led to an estimated 3,142 deaths and 400,000 injuries that took place in car crashes in 2020 because people weren’t paying attention to their driving.

In Illinois alone, statistics show that 193 people were killed in 171 distracted driving accidents in 2020. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that there was a 12 percent increase in fatalities in accidents across the country attributed to distracted driving.

The primary distraction: Cell phones and other electronic devices, the Governors Highway Safety Association said in a report on data about distracted-driving fatalities and injuries from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Fatal crashes can also happen in the time it takes a driver to gulp down some coffee, take a bite from a sandwich, or break up a fight between the kids, according to the safety association, a nonprofit policy and lobbying group whose members represent highway safety offices in the 50 states, U.S. territories, and Native American Nations.

Here’s what you need to know about distracted driving laws in Illinois:

Illinois is one of 19 states in which the use of handheld devices is banned in its entirety. Wisconsin has a partial ban and neighboring Indiana also has a full ban, but law enforcement agencies continue to hand out citations for drivers who are caught either texting or on the phone while behind the wheel.

All drivers are included in the texting ban, and Illinois also has a ban against young drivers using their phones while behind the wheel. While some states have laws on the books that decipher if drivers can be on their phones while their vehicles are not moving, Illinois remains strict in its stance on banning drivers from using their phones while in the car.

Distraction was listed as a factor in 15 percent of all police reports on motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2020, according to the report. Also, the report said, in crashes where distracted driving was a factor, 566 non-occupants — pedestrians, bicyclists, and others — were killed in 2020.

The actual toll of distracted driving may be higher, undercutting efforts to address the problem because it creates false perceptions about the persistent and dangerous nature of not paying attention while driving, the report said.

The GHSA has several prescriptions targeted at high-risk drivers. Drivers of all ages get distracted, the report pointed out, but research bears out that teen drivers ages 15-20 are more likely than any other age group to be involved in a fatal crash where distraction was a factor.

Many are related to behavioral changes through education. Most Americans acknowledge distracted driving threatens their safety, yet still engage in activities that contribute to the problem — largely cell phone use, which the report called “rampant.”

For example, 80 percent of drivers think yakking on a hand-held phone while driving is extremely or very dangerous, yet 37 percent do it anyway. And nearly all drivers — 95 percent — say texting or sending an email is extremely or very dangerous, yet almost a quarter of the drivers — 23 percent — confessed to doing it in the past 30 days, and 34 percent said they read on a hand-held device while driving.

One recommendation sure to get the attention of young drivers in Illinois is graduated driver licenses that limit how many teens can be in a car at a time.