Kane County drivers warned: Put the phone away — or pay

The Kane County Sheriff’s Office announced it is partnering with state police and local law enforcement during April’s designation as Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

Patrols will be watching for drivers using their phones for texting, posting to social media, or viewing videos, which are distracted driving violations, according to a news release.

In Illinois, manually using an electronic communication device while driving is illegal and dangerous.

The message to drivers is to put the phone away or pay.

Federal traffic safety funds pay for the Illinois distracted driving campaign, which is administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation, according to the release.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that distracted driving in 2024 killed 3,208 people and injured 315,167 people in vehicle crashes.

“Texting is the most alarming distraction,” according to the NHTSA website, nhtsa.gov. “Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed.”