Palos Park Police Urge Motorists To Drive 'Engaged'

PALOS PARK, IL — If you’ve ever found yourself not watching the road while behind the wheel of your car, safety experts say you’re putting yourself in danger. April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and Palos Park police will be paying extra attention to roadways all month for signs of distracted driving.

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.

According to the the National Highway Traffic Safety, more than 3,000 Americans die each year from distracted drivers. Unofficially, that number could be closer to 20,000. Further, a pedestrian is killed every two hours and injured every seven minutes somewherein the United States due to distracted driving.

Palos Park police will doing their own special enforcement operations this month to reduce distracted driving. Officers will be monitoring specific intersections in the village over the next few weeks to catch distracted drivers who violate red-light traffic signals.

Most drivers feel they can safely take their eyes off the road for 0-2 seconds, but a car can travel the length of a football field in five seconds at 55 MPH.

“Even very experienced people, well versed in texting and technology, are just as likely to be involved in a crash as somebody who is not familiar with texting, trying to text and drive,” said Chief Joe Miller, of the Palos Park Police Department. “For every mile you drive, you making as least 200 decisions that you’re subconsciously doing in your head. When you bring texting into the mix, it just creates another undue disgtraction. The best way to not drive distracted is to simply not get distracted while driving if possible.”

Distracted Driving Awareness Month is a good time to regroup and take responsibility for the choices we make when we’re on the road. Follow these safety tips for a safe ride:

• Need to send a text? Pull over and park your car in a safe location.
• Designate your passenger as your “designated texter” to respond to calls or messages.
• Do not scroll through apps while driving. Struggling not to text and drive? Put the cell phone in the trunk, glove box, or back seat of the vehicle until you arrive at your destination.