Each day in Illinois, ten 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 Illinois State Police District 1 announced on Monday, April 9, 2018, that it will again participate in Illinois Distracted Driving Awareness Week (DDAW) and conduct an enforcement campaign of Illinois’ distracted driving laws.
The second annual Illinois Distracted Driving Awareness Week is a coordinated effort 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.
Joining the effort are the
- Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police (ILACP)
- AAA
- Illinois State Police
- Illinois Department of Transportation
- Illinois High School and College Driver Education Association (IHSCDEA)
- nearly 300 local law enforcement agencies throughout Illinois.
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.
For more information on Illinois Distracted Driving Awareness Week visit www.iddaw.org. These partnerships have been formed to help further a traffic safety culture in Illinois and to reduce traffic fatalities and injuries resulting from distracted driving. Please help the ILACP, AAA, and Illinois State Police District 1, to keep Illinois’ roadways safe and Illinois strong.