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Posted: Wednesday, 21 May 2008 9:59AM

Texting While Driving May Become Illegal

COMMENT ON THIS STORY

CHICAGO (CBS 2) ― You see it happening more and more often – the driver next to you on the road, trying to send a text message while behind the wheel.

It's a dangerous habit and it may soon be against the law in Illinois.

About 20 Chicago-area high school students got a lesson in safe driving at Maywood Park Tuesday from professional racing instructors.

Seventeen-year-old Mallory Macciomei can handle a slalom course pretty well with both hands on the wheel, but when she attempts the same course while sending text messages, she skips most of the cones.

"If I hadn't had been texting, I would have been a lot better and wouldn't have missed any slaloms or anything. So, it's a big wake up call," Macciomei said.

She admits sending one or two text messages while driving every day, which is not unusual.

"Sometimes I'll text my girlfriend or my parents, or whoever," admitted teenage driver Taylor Boldt. "I know I shouldn't, but I'm not gonna lie I have done it before.

Russell Racing School instructor Tony Brakohiapa said the course is "teaching them to focus only on driving. If they want to use a cell phone, pull over for five, 10 minutes, make your phone call or send your text message."

The problem of texting while driving is not limited to teenagers. More adults are starting to pick up the dangerous habit.

"No matter what the age, everybody is distracted because everybody's multi-tasking," Brakohiapa said.

Secretary of State Jesse White announced last week he plans to propose a ban on text messaging while driving.

The kinks are still being worked out, but any such proposal already has the backing of law enforcement.

"I defy you to try to text while driving and still have your eyes on the road," Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said. "It's horribly dangerous."

"You know that this is something, if it has not already caused numerous accidents and deaths, will be doing it as it continues to get more popular," he added.

Dart said it's hard to say how many accidents have been caused by texting while driving, but lawmakers and police agree it's even more dangerous than using a cell phone. Chicago's ban on using a cell phone while driving began almost three years ago, before the texting craze kicked in.

05/22/2008 11:03AM

Fellow driver

This should absolutely be banned, I hope they have better luck than with the cell phone ban.

08/04/2008 12:43AM

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05/21/2008 10:05AM

Have you ever sent or read a text while driving?

Should texting while driving be illegal?

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