A lawsuit has been filed and is seeking class action status against the city alleging its cell phone driving ban is illegal. The ban was imposed in 2005 and drivers are fined $75 if caught talking on their cell phones or up to $200 if they are involved in an accident. The suit claims the law prohibiting Chicago residents from using cell phones while driving hasn't been properly enacted.
The law, 625 ILCS 5/11207, actually requires the city to put up signs that tell drivers not to talk on their cell phones when they're behind the wheel. But there are no such signs posted across the city of Chicago, which makes the fines and the arrests illegal. The suit asks that the city of Chicago dismiss any outstanding tickets and refund almost $2 million in fines collected since 2005.
