Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for August 21, 2007 MORE IL TEEN DRIVING RESTRICTIONS

From the WPSD TV Channel 6 website...

Governor signs laws restricting teen driving

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Illinois lawmakers continued tightening restrictions on teen drivers Tuesday as Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed three laws.

Blagojevich's action targets distractions that can cause deadly accidents and comes a day after he signed a package of bills that makes Illinois' teen-driving laws among the nation's strictest.

"The new laws I'm signing today reinforce the message that driving is a privilege, and with that privilege comes important responsibility," Blagojevich said in a prepared statement.

One law increases the age from 18 to 19 at which teens may talk on cell phones while driving, except in emergencies. Another requires teen instruction on the dangers of distracted driving, such as talking on phones, loud music or disruptive passengers.

A third law revokes driver's licenses of people under 21 who commit gang-related offenses that involve vehicles or licenses.

Among the provisions of the package Blagojevich signed Monday was one increasing the training time for young drivers from three to nine months.

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The bills are SB150, SB1557, and HB1080.

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On the Net: www.ilga.gov