A driver uses her mobile phone while sitting in traffic. AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli
A new trend is worrying police: Drivers on video conference calls.
Distracted driving was a factor in 1.6 million vehicle crashes in the United States last year. Thirty-eight people in Illinois were killed in crashes caused by distracted drivers. Hundreds more people were injured in crashes that should have been avoided.
Master Sgt. Joey Watson of the Illinois State Police blames remote work brought about by the pandemic for the growing numbers of drivers who take video conference meetings while they are driving.
“A lot of people engaged in this activity because of remote work. Unfortunately, the habits are formed. Now we have to break them,” Watson said to The Center Square.
It is not illegal to turn the video off and listen to a conference call in the car, but a driver’s main focus should always be the road, Watson said.
House Bill 2431, sponsored by state Rep. Marcus Evans, D-Chicago, and is now in the Senate. The measure will impose fines for those video conferencing on the road.
Many people are surprised to learn that taking video conference meetings while driving has become a trend, but Watson said state troopers see people being careless behind the wheel every day.
“I’ve worked the road for many, many years and I’ve seen it all,” Watson said.
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