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2018 Illinois Distracted Driving Awareness Week

04/10/2018

2018 Illinois Distracted Driving Awareness Week             

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 04/10/2018 CONTACT:  Lt. Keith Rickard, (309)345-3736

 

Knox County Sheriff’s Department to Participate in Second Annual Distracted Driving Week

Education, Enforcement Campaign to take place April 23-27

 

[Knox County, IL] – 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 Knox County Sheriff’s Department, announced today 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 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.

 Did you know…?

  • 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

 
Motorists can expect to see increased patrols throughout Knox County as part of this enforcement campaign.

 
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 The Knox County Sheriff’s Department to keep Illinois’ roadways safe and Illinois strong.