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Get Off the Phone!
Cyclists See Hope in Chicago Cell Phone Ban

By David Callahan

Chicago cyclists are hopeful that an ordinance banning motorists from using hand-held cell phones will make city streets safer once it takes effect July 8.

Violators of the new ordinance will face a $50 fine. The penalty is $200 in cases where cell phone conversations cause crashes. The ban does not apply to so-called “hands-free” attachments.

“I have my hands-free set; and I know friends that have actually bought theirs too. So, we’re ready,” said Patty Johnson, a Chicago cyclist. “I think it’s a great decision. I think they should ban them on bikes, too.”

The ordinance was sponsored by Ald. Burton Natarus (42nd Ward), who chairs the City Council Traffic Committee.

Willowbrook cyclist Ed Riley thinks cell phones pose a double threat. “They pre-occupy the driver physically, making it difficult to control the vehicle; and they divide the attention span.”

“I’m wondering why people are talking on the phone anyway,” observed Chicago cyclist, Dean Miller. “What’s so important that you have to be talking all the time on cell phones — in the car, on the street, anywhere?”

David Callahan is managing editor of Bike Traffic