As the new year approaches, there are new laws going into effect in Illinois regarding traffic safety. It’s important for drivers to keep these in mind to practice safe driving and understand the potential consequences of driving irresponsibly. The new laws will increase fines and other penalties for certain traffic violations that put others at risk, including hitting construction workers, driving carelessly in proximity to school busses, and other dangerous behaviors.
Here are some details about the new laws that will be in place as of 2021.
SB 1496
Construction workers are often at risk of being injured in accidents on the road. In an attempt to increase caution among drivers, Illinois will be increasing the maximum penalty for hitting workers to $25,000 in 2021, over twice as much as the $10,000 penalty currently in place. In addition, drivers who fail to obey traffic-control devices in highway maintenance or construction zones could be fined anywhere from $100 to $1,000.
SB 1862
State Troopers are also frequently injured in accidents. Following the deaths of three Illinois State Troopers in 2020, Scott’s Law in Illinois is scheduled to see an increase in fines. Scott’s Law is in place to ensure drivers slow down, proceed with caution, or change lanes as they approach disabled cars or emergency vehicles on the side of the highway. Fines will be increased from a minimum penalty of $100 to $250 for first-time violations, while the minimum for the second violation will be $750. Fines could reach $10,000, depending on the number and severity of violations.
SB 86
To help combat distracted driving, the state will be prohibiting the use of electronic devices to stream or watch any online videos while driving. Penalties for violating this new law include $75 fines for first-time offenders, $100 for second offenses, $125 for third offenses, and $150 for any additional violations.
SB 87
Smoked and tinted headlight lenses and covers will be prohibited with this law in place.
HB 1873
To help prevent pedestrian accidents involving schoolchildren, this law will work to penalize drivers who pass school buses. The penalties for first-time violations will range from $150 to $300, followed by $500 to $1,000 fines for second and subsequent violations.
HB 331
The Tamara Clayton Act, i.e. the Expressway Camera Act, requires the cooperation of transportation agencies and law enforcement to place a sufficient number of cameras on highways throughout Cook County. Tamara Clayton was a postal worker who was shot and killed in February 2020 while on I-57. This Act enables law enforcement agencies to use images captured from cameras for the purpose of detecting roadway hazards or investigating reports of gunfire.
All of these laws going into effect in 2021 will work to keep roadways safer across the state, helping reduce the risk of accidents by improving traffic safety.
