Distracted Driving Week commemorated

Each day, 10 people are fatally injured in distracted driving crashes – contributing to the 37,000 people killed in crashes on U.S. roadways during 2016, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA. 

To help bring attention to the dangers associated with driving distracted, Illinois State Police District 22 again will participate in Illinois Distracted Driving Awareness Week, DDAW, and conduct an enforcement campaign of Illinois’ distracted driving laws.

Union County is in District 22. Distracted Driving Awareness Week is April 23-27.

“No person’s life should be cut short by a poor decision to drive distracted,” District 22 commander Capt. Michael Alvey stated. 

“Drivers need to stay focused on the task of driving and making sure everyone arrives to their destination alive.”

The second annual Illinois Distracted Driving Awareness Week is a coordinated effort involving the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, AAA, the Illinois State Police, the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois High School and College Driver Education Association and nearly 300 local law enforcement agencies throughout the state to educate motorists about the dangers of driving while distracted and enforcing the laws on Illinois roadways.

Last year’s DDAW efforts resulted in over 18,000 warnings and citations for distracted driving offenses.

In addition to traffic enforcement, the district’s safety education officer will participate in education activities to:

•Teach about the dangers of distracted driving in high school driver’s education classes.

•Promote distracted driving messages through the department’s social media channels.

The state police note  that contrary to what some drivers may think, hands-free, handheld and in-vehicle technologies are not distraction-free, even if a driver’s eyes are on the road and their hands are on the wheel. 

The latest AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety research found that:

•Drivers who text when behind the wheel more than double their odds of being involved in a crash.

•Drivers who use in-vehicle technologies, like voice-based and touch screen features, can be distracted for more than 40 seconds when completing tasks like programming navigation or sending a text message.

•Removing eyes from the road for just two seconds doubles the risk for a crash. 

Violating Illinois’s distracted driving laws can be costly. 

The state police advised that in Illinois, the:

•Law prohibits all drivers from texting and driving.

•Law prohibits all drivers from using a hand-held phone while driving.

•Law prohibits all teen drivers from using a cell phone while driving.

For more information about Illinois Distracted Driving Awareness Week, visit www.iddaw.org.