Police out in force for Distracted Driving Week crackdown

Police statewide will be out in force next week looking for distracted drivers as part of the U Drive/U Text/U Pay campaign, a high-visibility effort to enforce distracted-driving laws.

"Everyone knows texting and driving is illegal and dangerous, and everyone knows they should not be doing it - but we see it happen all the time," said Sgt. Michelle Kondrat of the traffic unit in Buffalo Grove.

The Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, the Illinois State Police and more than 200 state and local agencies have joined together to increase awareness, education and enforcement. Both chambers of the Illinois legislature have passed resolutions and an official proclamation has been issued by Gov. Bruce Rauner declaring April 24-28 the first Illinois Distracted Driving Awareness Week.

Illinois' distracted driving laws have been in effect for seven years. The use of cellphones for all drivers, regardless of age, while operating a vehicle in a school zone or construction zone is prohibited. Also, the use of electronic communication devices or any other electronic device, to text, email, compose, read or send electronic messages or access internet sites while driving a motor vehicle is prohibited.

Distracted driving statistics from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety paint a grim picture: In 2015, an estimated 3,477 people were killed. An additional 391,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers. Driver inattention is a factor in more than 1 million crashes annually, resulting in serious injuries, deaths and an economic impact that the AAA says reaches nearly $40 billion per year.

Americans spend about one hour and 15 minutes in their vehicles every day. The AAA found that while more than 80 percent of drivers believed it was unacceptable for a motorist to text behind the wheel, more than one-third of those same drivers admitted to reading text messages while operating a motor vehicle.

"Do the right thing - put your phone away when you get behind the wheel. Save yourself the embarrassment and expense of getting pulled over - and more importantly, you may save someone's life," Kondrat said.