The Lake County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police (ILACP), and numerous other Illinois law enforcement agencies, is participating in a distracted driving awareness week initiative April 24 through April 28, 2017. The campaign will also include the enforcement of distracted driving laws.
Sheriff Mark Curran said, “During this traffic safety campaign, our deputies will be focused on watching for distracted drivers. Expect to be pulled over if you’re texting while driving. Remember to ‘Drop it and Drive!’”
Undersheriff Ray Rose added, “Traffic crashes are all too often associated with driver’s being distracted. Drivers should be focused on the roadway and not distracted with telephone calls or cellphone applications.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA):
- 3,477 people were killed and an estimated 391,000 injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in 2015. That is a 9-percent increase in fatalities as compared to the previous year.
- 10 percent of fatal crashes, 15 percent of injury crashes, and 14 percent of all police reported motor vehicle crashes in 2015 were reported as distraction affected crashes.
- Texting while driving has become an especially problematic trend among millennials. Young drivers, 16 to 24 years old, have been observed using handheld electronic devices while driving at higher rates than older drivers since 2007.
In addition to focusing enforcement efforts on distracted drivers, sheriff’s deputies will be monitoring for traffic violations in constructions zones throughout Lake County. Drivers should be extra aware in these zones, as ‘road construction season’ is upon us.
Please help the Lake County Sheriff’s Office keep our roadways safe and remember to ‘Drop it and Drive!’