Safety concerns have led Illinois officials to make it illegal to aim a laser at an airplane's cockpit.
The flash of a laser pointer or laser sight can interfere with a pilot's vision. A moment of blindness at the wrong time during landing or takeoff could lead to tragedy.
Nationally, pilots reported more than 2,800 incidents with lasers last year — nearly double the number from 2009.
Aiming lasers at a plane in Illinois will now be a misdemeanor, which means up to a year in jail. Gov. Pat Quinn signed the new ban into law on Thursday.
Copyright The Associated Press
