A new program aimed at combatting distracted driving in Illinois will feature stepped up police patrols, officials said.
According to the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office, the “One Road, One Focus” campaign will also include new requirements for student drivers, as well as billboards that will pop up around the state.
Stream NBC 5 for free, 24/7, wherever you are.
WATCH HERE“Despite understanding the dangers, people still give in to the temptation to pick up their phone while behind the wheel. This ‘intexticated driving’ is the drunk driving of our time and is 100 percent preventable,” Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said in a statement. “Our ‘One Road, One Focus’ campaign seeks to spark a cultural shift in our collective behavior to make Illinois roads safer and save lives.”
The program includes a new stepped up enforcement program, buoyed by $77,000 in grant funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, according to state officials.
That money will be used to help local police, in coordination with the Illinois Secretary of State Police force, to enforce distracted driving laws in high-volume crash areas. Law enforcement officers across the state will also be urged to issue more tickets and to serve as a deterrent to drivers who “may be tempted toward distraction,” according to a release.
In addition to the stepped up patrols, teen drivers who are enrolled in driver’s ed programs will be required to watch a video that details the consequences of distracted driving.
Finally, Springfield-based WC Media will unveil a series of billboards to encourage drivers to put down their phones and to focus on the road, according to officials.
Chicago Politics
According to the NHTSA, nearly 3,000 people were killed and another 300,000 were hurt in distracted driving crashes in 2023.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the news you need to know with the Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
SIGN UP 