May 12, 2025
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Kane police issued 10 citations for hands-free law violations

April’s Distracted Driving Awareness Month enforcement included speeding, passing on the shoulder, other traffic infractions

By Brenda Schory

(File photo) St. Charles Police Officer Scott Coryell makes a traffic stop after seeing a driver on their cellular phone while on patrol on the east end of Route 64 in St. Charles in 2014. April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Last month, a 20-hour enforcement campaign resulted in 10 citations for violating the hands-free law. (Sandy Bressner)

Some drivers in Kane County seem to be wedded to their cell phones while driving – a no-no that resulted in 10 citations for disobeying the hands-free law, according to a news release from the Kane County Sheriff’s Office following April’s Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

The results of the 20-hour enforcement campaign also resulted in 15 other citations and four warnings, most being issued on Randall Road in the St. Charles and South Elgin area. The sheriff’s office partnered with the Illinois Department of Transportation, State Police and local law enforcement agencies to ticket anyone who violates distracted driving and other Illinois driving laws.

Police issued four citations apiece for speeding and disobeying stop signs, two for front windshield obstruction, and one each for driving without a license, passing on the shoulder, no window treatment, disobeying traffic signal – in that the driver went through a red light – and no insurance.

Obstructing the front window means that no one can drive a motor vehicle with any objects placed or suspended between the driver and the front windshield, which would obstruct the driver’s view, Undersheriff Amy Johnson said in an email.

This includes things like signs, posters, window applications, reflective material, snow, ice or moisture. It can even be an excessive amount of decorations, air fresheners, or GPS devices.

The no insurance citation was a two-for – having occurred while the driver was stopped for another traffic infraction.

“Other traffic violations would be seen leading up to the traffic stop and the probable cause for the stop. Finding out they had no insurance would have been obtained during the traffic stop,” according to Johnson’s email.

The law against passing on the shoulder in Illinois is there for safety reasons, according to Johnson’s email, as road shoulders are not designated for high-speed traffic.

“Technically, the shoulder is there for stopping, merging, and accelerating from a stop,” according to Johnson’s email. “The shoulder also has bike lanes and/or other areas where people walk, which could cause further safety concerns or disrupt traffic.”

Federal traffic safety funds administered by IDOT paid for the enhanced traffic enforcement program.

Kane County