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Permalink Reply by Eli on March 24, 2014 at 3:44am

Of course, this writeup is deceptively worded. Around 1 in 5 of the drivers were observed using a phone. But presumably not everyone who uses a phone while driving does so 100% of the time. So while it's probably accurate to say that approximately 20% of Chicago drivers are on their phone at any one time, the percentage of Chicago drivers who sometimes use their phone while driving is surely much higher.

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Permalink Reply by Andy J on March 24, 2014 at 4:51am

"...he often sees even police officers driving while talking on cellphones."

Looks like we'll be able to enjoy the top spot for some time to come...

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Permalink Reply by Tricolor on March 24, 2014 at 5:54am

Chicago drivers top the state?  I'll bet there are more Chicago drivers on the phone than the total population of any other city in the state.  Not much of a surprise.

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Permalink Reply by Fran Kondorf on March 24, 2014 at 6:02am

"The average city fine is $100 and, since 2008, the violation, like a parking ticket, has not counted against a driver's record. In 2005 through 2007, violations of Chicago's hands-free cellphone law were treated as moving violations and cases were handled in Cook County Circuit Court."

Strange- seems to me it's still a moving violation. Why shouldn't it count on your driving record anymore?

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Permalink Reply by Kris Hendry on March 24, 2014 at 1:49pm

I've always assumed that it's teenagers that are on the phones. But the few bike trips I've made I usually see middle aged women with the phone glued to their ears. I did see a cop in one of the huge SUV's on the phone but maybe it's work related?

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Permalink Reply by Juan 2-3 or more mi. on March 25, 2014 at 5:31am

This just confirms what I see on the road everyday even with the police.

Funny how some of these cars have front and or rear damage to the bumpers.

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