The Antioch Police Department is proud to announce their participation in Illinois Distracted Driving Awareness Week, which will run April 23rd through April 27th.
The second annual Illinois Distracted Driving Awareness Week is a coordinated effort between the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police (ILACP), AAA, The Illinois State Police, The Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois High School and College Driver Education Association (IHSCDEA) and nearly 300 local law enforcement agencies throughout Illinois 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.
Each day, 10 people are killed 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, the Antioch Police Department, will participate in Illinois Distracted Driving Awareness Week (DDAW) and conduct an enforcement campaign of Illinois’ distracted driving laws. Motorists can expect to see increased patrols and enforcement zones across Illinois as part of the distracted driving enforcement. Funding for this traffic safety campaign is made possible through a grant provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Highway Administration and is administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Contrary to what some driers 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’ distracted driving laws can be costly and may result in a conviction for a moving violation, which can impact a driver’s insurance rates.
In Illinois the law prohibits:
- Texting and driving
- Using a hand-held phone while driving
- Anyone under age 19, except in the case of an emergency, from using any cellphone/wireless device, including a hands free device.
We are issuing this release because we want to send the message that Antioch Police Officers will be paying particular attention to distracted driving and will be strictly enforcing violations. Our message for drivers is “if you engage in unlawful distracted driving behaviors in Antioch, expect to be pulled over and ticketed.”
Release Authorized by:
Geoff Guttschow
Deputy Chief of Police