April is 'Distracted Driver Awareness Month'

April is nationwide "Distracted Driving Awareness Month," and the Lombard Police Department is joining with the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois State Police more than 200 other statewide law enforcement agencies to mark it.

Law enforcement officials are planning to increase efforts to stop and ticket anyone who violates distracted driving and other Illinois motor vehicle laws. Lombard police are urging drivers to drop their phones and focus on the road with a not-so-subtle reminder: "Phone in One Hand. Ticket in the Other."

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a total of 26,004 people died in U.S. crashes involving a distracted driver between 2012 and 2019.

The distracted driving campaign is administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation with federal traffic safety funds.