The Bensenville Police Department to participate in Second Annual Distracted Driving Week- Education, Enforcement Campaign to take place April 23-27. 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 Bensenville Police Department, announced today it will again participate in Illinois Distracted Driving.

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 High School and College Driver Education Association (IHSCDEA) and nearly 300 local law enforcements 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.

In addition to traffic enforcement the Bensenville Police Department will participate in education activities in coordination with the IHSCDEA:

• Teach about the dangers of distracted driving in high school driver’s education classes and/or all school assembly
• Utilize Safety Serve DDAW lessons in schools
• Work with teens to display distracted driving posts around community
• Promote distracted driving messages through department’s social media channels
• Promote safe driving at Fenton

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

Violating Illinois’s distracted driving laws can be costly. Know before you go. In Illinois:

• Law prohibits all drivers from texting and driving {FINE}
• Law prohibits all drivers from using a hand‐held phone while driving {FINE]
• Law prohibits all teen drivers from using a cell phone while driving [FINE]

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 (insert your town name), to keep Illinois’ roadways safe and Illinois strong.