On July 26, 2016, Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran, Undersheriff Ray Rose, Circuit Clerk Keith Brin, and Aaron S. Epstein, MD, Northwestern Medicine, held a press conference to discuss the ‘100 deadliest days’ of driving. They were joined by the Lake County Chiefs of Police Association, Lake County Department of Transportation, and AAA. The ‘100 deadliest days’ is the period of time between Memorial Day and Labor Day when teen car crashes are at their highest.
From July 26, 2016 until Labor Day, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, along with other Lake County Law Enforcement, and our traffic safety partners, worked collaboratively to educate motorists about the dangers of distracted driving. Throughout Lake County, law enforcement focused on enforcing the cell phone ban during the “Drop It and Drive/Stay Alive” campaign.
Lake County Circuit Clerk Keith Brin and his staff are responsible for being the central clearing house for citations issued in Lake County. Circuit Clerk Brin announced the “Drop It and Drive/Stay Alive” campaign resulted in Lake County Law Enforcement issuing 888 citations for violations of the cell phone while driving ban.
In total, Lake County Law Enforcement conducted traffic stops on over 1,600 drivers who were illegally using a cellular phone while driving, during this campaign. In addition to the 888 traffic citations issued, law enforcement issued over 300 administrative violations and over 400 warnings to drivers.
Sheriff Mark Curran said, “Of the 888 citations issued in Lake County, over 140 of them were issued by Lake County Sheriff’s Deputies. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office will continue making distracted driving awareness and enforcement a priority, and we hope parents will continue setting a positive example, teaching their children to #DropItAndDrive.”
Undersheriff Ray Rose added, “I look at this enforcement effort as having potentially saved over 1,600 lives. It is my hope that each one of these citations and warnings issued result in a permanent reminder that distracted driving can kill. Let’s continue working together to ensure our families and friends remember “Drop It and Drive/Stay Alive.”