Roadwise States Illinois Driving lessons Distracted driving and cellphones Illinois driving lesson · Stops, Belts, Speed & Special Zones
Distracted driving and cellphones A 3-minute lesson from the Illinois course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Read time 3 minutes
Course unit Stops, Belts, Speed & Special Zones
Checkpoint questions 6
Source pages 25, 26 Illinois bans handheld phone use behind the wheel. Hands-free calling is allowed only for drivers 19 and older, and even hands-free talking is a distraction. The law also covers video, video calls and social media.
Know the rule
Illinois law prohibits using handheld cellphones, texting, or other electronic communications while operating a motor vehicle.
Handbook p. 25 ↗ Know the rule
Hands-free devices or Bluetooth technology are allowed for persons age 19 and older.
Handbook p. 25 ↗ Headset Any device, other than a hearing aid, that lets a person hear or receive electronic communications. Headsets are prohibited while driving.
Handbook p. 25 ↗ Know the rule
A single-sided headset or earpiece used with a wireless phone is permitted while driving.
Handbook p. 25 ↗ Know the rule
Motorcycle, motor-driven cycle and moped operators may use intercom helmets so the driver and passengers can talk to each other.
Handbook p. 25 ↗ Know the rule
Holding the phone while using the speakerphone is NOT hands-free. It is a violation of Illinois law.
Handbook p. 25 ↗ Also illegal on a phone while driving: Watching or streaming live video Joining a video conference (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex) Accessing social media (e.g., Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, X) Handbook p. 25 ↗ You may use a phone that is not hands-free only: To report an emergency While parked on the shoulder of a roadway While stopped because normal traffic is obstructed, with the vehicle in neutral or park Handbook p. 25 ↗ Know the rule
Hands-free technology is still a distraction. If you must make a call, it's recommended that you pull off to the side of the road first.
Handbook p. 25 ↗ Know the rule
If distracted driving causes a crash with a motor vehicle, bicyclist, pedestrian or any road user, you may face criminal penalties and incarceration.
Handbook p. 26 ↗ Know the rule
In construction zones and marked school zones, you must stop using a wireless phone unless it's hands-free (a single-sided headset is allowed).
Handbook p. 28 ↗ Put it into practice
Traffic ahead is stopped by a crash and nobody is moving. If you shift into park, you may use a handheld phone. Once traffic moves again, put it down.
Check your understanding Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
Who is allowed to use a hands-free cellphone device while driving in Illinois? Drivers age 21 and older All licensed drivers No drivers, hands-free is always banned Drivers age 19 and older Answer: Drivers age 19 and older
Hands-free/Bluetooth calling is legal only for drivers 19 and older.
Handbook p. 25 ↗ While your vehicle is moving, when may you use a handheld cellphone? To check a navigation app Only to report an emergency On speakerphone while holding it To read a text at low speed Answer: Only to report an emergency
A phone that is not hands-free may be used only to report an emergency, while parked on the shoulder, or while stopped in obstructed traffic in neutral or park.
Handbook p. 25 ↗ A driver under age 19 may legally talk on a cellphone while driving if using a hands-free device or single-sided earpiece. True False Answer: False
False. Any wireless/cellphone use while driving, including hands-free, is prohibited for drivers under age 19 except to contact emergency services. Hands-free use is allowed only at age 19 and older.
Handbook p. 25 ↗ Which cellphone activity does Illinois law specifically name as a violation while driving? Adjusting cabin temperature Talking to a passenger Accessing social media apps Using a GPS mounted on the dashboard Answer: Accessing social media apps
Illinois law specifically names social media access as a distracted-driving violation.
Handbook p. 25 ↗ You are stopped in traffic that is not moving, and you shift into park. Can you use a handheld phone? Yes, if traffic is blocked and you're in park No, handheld use is never allowed while the engine is on Only if you are on the shoulder Only for a duration under 30 seconds Answer: Yes, if traffic is blocked and you're in park
This is one of the specific exceptions allowing handheld phone use.
Handbook p. 25 ↗ What device is prohibited while driving, aside from handheld phones? Wired earbuds used for a single ear A dashboard phone mount A headset over both ears Prescription eyeglasses Answer: A headset over both ears
Full headsets are banned; a single-sided earpiece is the exception.
Handbook p. 25 ↗ Previous lesson When you're stopped by police Next lesson Seat belts, air bags and child passengers More in Stops, Belts, Speed & Special Zones About the source Roadwise’s Illinois course uses the driver handbook edition supplied with this study pack. This lesson cites source pages 25, 26. The linked PDF is a third-party mirror of the handbook, rather than a government-hosted page.
Open the handbook source PDF · View the source edition
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