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70 mph, Cell Phone Ban Bills Await Action

Secretary of State's Office
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Secretary of State

  Illinois has a trio of new laws that officials say will make the roads safer.  But the governor has yet to act on other measures that could have a significant impact on drivers.

Two of the new laws apply to people who've already had traffic troubles, like one named after 15-year-old Kelsey Little, who was seriously hurt in 2011 when she was hit by a teen just learning how to drive.

Secretary of State Jesse White explains what happened next: "long before she was able to recover from her wounds, he had come to our Secretary of State facility and was able to receive his driver's license."

Under the new law, teens with pending traffic tickets won't be able to get a license or driving permit.

Another law makes a driver charged in a fatal accident ineligible for court supervision.  

The third says that drivers between the ages of 18 and 20 who skipped drivers' education have to take six-hours of training before they can get a license.

But those aren't the only traffic laws that could be changing in Illinois, depending on what Governor Pat Quinn decides.  

Legislators sent him a measure that would require drivers to use a hands-free device if they want to use a cell phone in the car.  Also, Quinn hasn't yet said if he'll sign a proposal that would increase the speed limit on the highway from 65 miles an hour to 70.

Amanda Vinicky moved to Chicago Tonight on WTTW-TV PBS in 2017.
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