The Illinois State Police will be conducting a wide range of enforcement patrols throughout Kane, DuPage, and Cook counties this weekend and throughout September.
So drivers beware.
Illinois State Police District 02 Commander, Linda Mandat, has announced that the state police will conduct Occupant Restraint Enforcement Patrols (OREP), colloquially known as seat-belt checks, in Kane County; Distracted Driving Enforcement Program patrols in DuPage and Kane; Alcohol Countermeasure Enforcement and Nighttime Enforcement patrols in Cook and DuPage.
The nature of these patrols is somewhat obvious, but not everyone may be aware of the Distracted Driving rules in Illinois (we weren’t). They are:
- Drivers are prohibited from reading, sending or receiving text messages and from browsing the internet;
- Drivers are prohibited from using handheld electronic communication devices;
- Drivers under 19 are prohibited from using any cellphone, even hands-free;
- Drivers are prohibited from using cellphones, even hands-free, while in school zones;
- It is illegal to use a cellphone or take photos/videos when driving within 500 feet of an emergency scene.
Be safe out there.
