The state of Illinois is closer to banning all hand-held devices while driving. It still has to get through the Senate, but the legislation passed in the House with a two thirds vote on Friday. Although some places in Illinois have city-wide or county-wide cell phone bans, this bill would ban all hand-held cell phones while driving in the entire state. Illinois would be the 11th in the union to have a full cell phone ban on the books. If it passes, police could ticket any driver holding a cell phone, except in emergency situations. Lieutenant Brad Oyer of the Charleston Police Department says the only goal of this bill is safety. Some opponents of the bill say it's unfair to those who can't afford high-tech phones. But multiple Eastern Illinois University students say buying a hands-free headset is just a small price to pay. These days most non-smartphones have jacks for wired headsets, which can set you back about $20. Oyer says even if people are upset about having to pay for a handset or bluetooth earpiece, maybe they should reconsider their reliance on technology.
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