SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — Illinois lawmakers have introduced a bill that would no longer make it illegal for drivers to have items hanging from their rearview mirror.
According to House Bill 2389, police would no longer have the authority to stop a motorist for having an item, like an air freshener, hanging from their rearview mirror while driving.
The bill was proposed by Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias and Rep. La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago).
Currently, Illinois law prohibits items from hanging from a rearview mirror or be affixed to a windshield, on the grounds that they obstruct a driver’s vision.
According to a press release, “this arcane law can serve as a pretext for racially motivated traffic stops for minor infractions.”
“We need to do everything we can to reduce the need for police interactions with people for non-violent and non-threatening violations,” Ford said.
Illinois is one of a handful of states with laws banning items from hanging from a rearview mirror.
The bill follows in the aftermath of the death of Daunte Wright, of Chicago, who was fatally shot in Minnesota in 2021 after a police officer mistook her gun for a taser after she was pulled over for having an air freshener hanging from her rearview mirror.
