Each April, federal and state agencies, safety organizations, and advocates for accident victims and their loved ones join together across the nation and especially here in Chicagoland to promote and participate in a joint Distracted Driving Awareness safety campaign.
What’s happening? For one thing, traffic citations will go up. The Illinois State Police, the Illinois Department of Transportation, alongside over 200 other Illinois law enforcement agencies will be active all month to try and prevent distracted driving accidents by a targeted effort to enforce Illinois laws against using phones while driving on our roadways. Read, “Rockford, state police increase efforts to curb distracted driving,” by Alyssa Kelly and published by WIFR on March 28, 2025.
This will be a dedicated focus during the week of April 10 – 14, where a greater police presence will be on Chicagoland roads as part of the national media campaign heralded as “Put the Phone Away or Pay.”
To be clear, anyone on our roadways this month should be alert to the possible increased law enforcement presence looking for distracted drivers anytime during Distracted Driving Awareness Month. All of Chicagoland, as well as the entire Land of Lincoln, is involved in this safety awareness event, with news releases popping up from local authorities in places like West Chicago; DuPage County; LaSalle County; and Naperville.
Additionally, there will all sorts of educational awareness efforts by various organizations, designed to help people better understand the stark realities of distracted driving and its ability to kill in an instant.
The internationally known safety organization headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, our National Safety Council, is offering all sorts of free resources for the general public, to “…help spread the word that when you’re behind the wheel, your only job is to drive.” The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is also offering free things directed to truckers; things like social media graphics; tip sheets; visor cards; and audio spots for commercial motor vehicle drivers.
From the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”):
Distracted driving has become a deadly epidemic on our roads. Cell phone use — specifically, texting, talking, and social media use — has become the most common distraction. Other risky actions include adjusting the radio or GPS, applying makeup, eating and drinking. By driving distracted, you’re robbing yourself of seconds that you may need to avoid a close call or deadly crash.
The Dangers of Distracted Driving
Driving any size of motor vehicle on a Chicago road brings a risk of being hurt or killed in a crash, of course. The chances increase with things like traffic congestion; road work construction zones; inexperienced drivers; drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs; speeding; bad weather conditions; debris in the roadway; and vehicle mechanical failures (think tire blowouts or failing brakes). Obvious hazards, right?
However, many people in our part of the country are still not fully aware of how very dangerous distracted driving can be. Operating a motor vehicle while distracted in any way can be deadly.
And the temptation to use a phone for a driver is often too much to avoid here in Chicago. There are all sorts of rationalizations: just needing to make a quick call or text; just needing to check for messages; etc. All of this may sound like acceptable behavior, especially for experienced drivers.
However, use of a cellphone or smart phone is one of the most dangerous things a driver can do. The distraction is complex, involving all three types of distraction defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”):
- Visual: driver takes eyes off the road;
- Manual: driver takes hands off the wheel; and
- Cognitive: driver’s mind is taken off driving.
Also read: Distracted Driving, Cognitive Brain Function, and Motor Vehicle Accidents.
Other Types of Distracted Driving
Using the phone while driving is the most common type of distracted driving, but it is not the only way that a driver may be distracted with tragic results. Other distracted driving behaviors include things like:
- chatting with occupants of the rig, car, SUV, minivan
- self-talk (preparing for a meeting at the office; an exam; speech; sales presentation; etc.)
- grooming (putting on makeup; brushing or combing hair; adjusting clothing; putting on a jacket)
- coping with kids or pets in the vehicle
- dealing with unsecured items (spilling coffee; backpack or purse falling off seat; etc.)
- selecting or changing music, audiobooks, podcasts
- adjusting devices like mirrors, speaking volume
- grabbing stuff out of the glove compartment
- eating or drinking while driving.
Also read: Sick or Ill Drivers, Cognitive Function, and Motor Vehicle Accidents; and Hands-Free Devices Do Not Make Driving Safer: Cognitive Driver Distraction Using Hands-Free Phone.
From NSC executive vice president of roadway practice, Mark Chung:
“Using a mobile device while driving is the ultimate form of distraction, but distraction comes in many forms. You need to just drive when you’re behind the wheel; it doesn’t matter if you’re talking on speaker phone, mentally preoccupied, or eating breakfast on your way to work, it’s distracting and puts you and others in danger while you’re driving. It’s unnecessary and not worth the risk.”
Injury Claims After Chicagoland Distracted Driving Accident
Distracted driving is the cause of too many serious injuries or fatal accidents in this country. The CDC warns that a shocking nine (9) people lose their lives each day in the United States due to a driver being distracted behind the wheel.
It is important for all of us driving on Chicago roads and highways to be vigilant in avoiding distractions, as well as being alert to the likelihood that we will cross the paths of one or more drivers here in Chicagoland who is driving distracted. The danger is real and unresolved.
For those who are victims of these preventable accidents, there are investigations that can determine if distraction was a reason for their injuries. Accident re-constructionists working with legal advocates may be able to confirm with expert analysis (with things like black boxes) if a distracted driver caused the crash. For more, read How to Prove Distracted Driving Caused Serious or Deadly Accident in Chicagoland.
To learn more about distracted driving accidents in the Chicago metropolitan area, see:
- Chicago Distracted Driving Accidents: Commercial Truck Drivers
- Distracted Driving Accidents in Chicagoland: High Risk for Teenagers Behind the Wheel
- Distracting Driving Accidents in Chicagoland.
Both the accident victims as well as family members may be able to claim monetary damages from those responsible for the distracted driving accident, including things like medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, lost earning capacity, and more.
For more on damages, read:
- 10 Types of Injury Damages That May Be Awarded to Accident Victims
- Catastrophic Injuries in an Accident: Damages for the Loss of a Normal Life
- Damages Available After a Pedestrian Accident in Chicago
- Pain Awareness: Claims to Cover an Accident Victim’s Pain Damages.
Chicago is notorious for its heavy traffic patterns, and things are more stressful for drivers now with the continuing road work construction zones of Project Rebuild Illinois. During the average driving day here in bustling Chicagoland, drivers should expect they will be driving alongside, behind, or in front of a distracted driver and facing the risk of a serious accident. Please be careful out there!
