Distracted driving is no joke. Galesburg and Illinois State Police, as well as agencies across the state, are raising awareness of the dangers of distracted driving during the month of April. Federal traffic safety funds are being used by the Illinois Department of Transportation, Galesburg Police and agencies across the state to alert them to the dangers of distracted driving. Lt. Steffanie Cromein with GPD says that “texting while driving puts everyone on the road at risk.” She adds that Galesburg officers will be ticketing drivers who text or generally use their cell phones while driving. Seconds can make all the difference- a car can travel the length of a football field in 5 seconds at 55 MPH. While Americans were driving less during the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 40,000 people died in traffic crashes in 2020 — the largest projected number of fatalities since 2007 — with many of these attributed to distracted driving.
