What Is the ISP Distracted Driving Enforcement Program?

 Posted on March 21, 2025 in Car Accidents

In April 2025, the Illinois State Police will conduct a Distracted Driving Enforcement Program in Champaign, Macon, and Vermillion counties. Driver inattention has long been a leading cause of car accidents, and the ISP’s crackdown hopes to remind Illinois drivers to follow Illinois distracted driving laws.

If you are injured in an accident caused by a distracted driver, you could be entitled to compensation. You will need evidence to prove driver inattention, and a skilled Champaign, IL personal injury lawyer can help you get it.

What Will the Distracted Driving Enforcement Program Focus On?

Drivers who unlawfully use cell phones and other handheld electronic communication devices are the main focus of the program. Illinois laws prohibit all drivers from:

• Browsing the internet; sending, reading, and receiving electronic communications; video conferencing; and video streaming while driving

• Using phones in road construction and school zones, even with a hands-free device

• Using phones or other devices to take videos or pictures within 500 feet of an accident site while driving

• Using a hands-on electronic device, with few exceptions

Additionally, school bus drivers and drivers under 18 are prohibited from using cell phones while driving.

Why are the laws about cell phone usage so strict? Because the likelihood of causing an accident increases by 400 percent when you use them.

Would You Drive With Your Eyes Closed?

Texting is one of the most dangerous distractions for drivers. Sadly, many motorists text and drive daily. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, reading or sending a text takes around five seconds, effectively taking your eyes away from the road during that time. If you are traveling at 55 mph, texting while driving is like driving with your eyes closed for the length of a football field.

Although five seconds does not sound very long, a lot can happen during that time. A child could chase her ball into the street, you could round a curve and encounter standstill traffic, or another vehicle could merge directly in front of you. 3,308 people were killed by distracted drivers in 2022, with driver inattention contributing to a large number of injury accidents, as well.

Why Is Distracted Driving Dangerous?

Distractions can prevent drivers from reacting to developing situations with enough time to avoid an accident. Using a hand-held cell phone, applying makeup, eating or drinking, interacting with passengers, and searching or reaching for objects in your car are common examples of driver distractions. Anything that takes your mind away from driving, hands away from the steering wheel, and eyes away from the road can be considered a distraction. Using earbuds is an audible distraction, as it can prevent you from hearing sirens and horns.

Inattentive drivers may fail to take evasive action, meaning that the accidents they cause could be at high speeds and direct angles of impact. Injuries sustained are often severe.

Why Do I Need Evidence of Driver Inattention?

You must prove that someone else’s negligence or intentional act caused your accident if you wish to pursue compensation. Otherwise, the liable insurance company could deny your claim. The insurer may also try to reduce the value of your claim.

Your attorney will not only investigate your accident to uncover supporting evidence, but we will also work diligently to keep the insurance company from taking advantage of you.

Call Our Dedicated Springfield, IL Distracted Driving Accident Lawyers

When you choose Kanoski Bresney, one of our experienced Peoria, IL personal injury attorneys will fight to help you recover the compensation you deserve after your distracted driving crash. Call 888-826-8682 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation.