Waukegan, IL – Sheriff Mark Curran announced the Lake County Sheriff’s Office is teaming up with the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police and the Illinois Department of Transportation for the Distracted Driver traffic safety campaign. The traffic safety campaign begins Monday, April 16 and runs through Monday, April 30. Funding for this traffic safety campaign is made possible through a grant provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Highway Administration and is administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Sheriff Mark Curran stated, “Texting and driving is dangerous. If a motorist is caught with a phone in one hand, they can expect a ticket in the other. The purpose of the campaign is to reduce distracted driving and reduce traffic crashes.”

Texting while driving distracts the driver visually, manually and cognitively, putting everyone on the road at risk. Sending or receiving a text takes a driver’s eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent of driving blind at 55 mph for the length of an entire football field. 

Motorists can expect to see increased patrols and enforcement zones across Illinois as part of the April 16-30 distracted driving enforcement. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office will ticket drivers who text or use their cellphones while driving.

Not giving driving your full attention can have deadly consequences. Don’t let one text or call wreck it all: Drop It and Drive!