Illinois student drivers will face a new requirement to get their licenses as the state pushes back against distracted driving.
Under provisions of the “One Road, One Focus” campaign, student drivers in Illinois will be required to watch a video that state officials say “details the consequences of dangerous driving behaviors.”
The new video requirement, along with other elements of the “One Road, One Focus” campaign, will be unveiled at a Tuesday press event in Chicago, the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office said.
According to a press release, nearly 3,300 people were killed and more than 300,000 were hurt in car crashes involving distracted drivers, citing data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Under provisions of the new program, the new video will be required viewing for teens who have received their learner’s permits, and must be viewed before they can obtain their driver’s license.
In addition to the new video requirement, the program will also include billboard ads designed to raise awareness of distracted driving behaviors, along with special enforcement efforts on the part of law enforcement to crack down on distracted driving, according to the press release.
Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias had unveiled the outline of the program in October, but is now rolling the full thing out in conjunction with Distracted Driving Awareness month, which is observed every April.
“Tragically, distracted driving has become the drunk driving of our time,” Giannoulias said during an Oct. 2024 press conference alongside a mother whose 14-year-old daughter was killed by a distracted driver. “A driver is six times more likely to be involved in a car crash while texting than driving while intoxicated.”
According to Giannoulias’ office, Illinois State Police will coordinate with the Secretary of State’s Offices to patrol high-crash areas to combat distracted driving.
A new grant program will also be created that will help law enforcement agencies target distracted driving awareness campaigns in their communities.
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