April is national Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and the Elmhurst Police Department is partnering with the Illinois Department of Transportation to remind motorists that if they drive with a phone in one hand, they can expect a ticket in the other.  

With traffic fatalities on the rise in Illinois and across the country, the Elmhurst Police Department is committed to reducing easily preventable crashes caused by distractions such as texting or talking on a cellphone. Texting while driving distracts the driver visually, manually and cognitively, putting everyone on the road at risk. Sending or receiving a text takes a driver’s eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent of driving blind at 55 mph for the length of an entire football field.    

Motorists can expect to see increased patrols and enforcement zones across Illinois as part of the April 16-30 distracted driving enforcement. The Elmhurst Police Departmentwill be ticketing drivers who text or use their cellphones while driving. Texting while stopped at a red light is also against the law, as most motorists will continue to be distracted by their phones as they continue to drive.    
Not giving driving your full attention can have deadly consequences. Don’t let one text or call wreck it all: Drop It and Drive!  

The Illinois Drop It and Drive program is funded with federal highway safety dollars administered by IDOT.