CHICAGO, Aug. 7 (UPI) -- Illinois next year will join 14 other U.S. states and Washington, D.C., in banning text messaging while driving, officials say.
Gov. Pat Quinn signed a bill into law Thursday that will prohibit motorists in Illinois from sending or receiving text messages while a car is moving, the Chicago Tribune reported Friday.
Beginning Jan. 1, text messaging while driving will become a primary offense, which means police can pull over anyone they see doing it.
Fines will begin at $75 and drivers with three convictions will face suspension of their licenses, the Tribune said.
Illinois drivers can still talk on their cell phones without a headset as long as they are not in Chicago, where driving while talking on a cell phone is against the law.
