Police increasing patrols in Will County for distracted driving enforcement

The Illinois State Police will be stepping up enforcement of distracted driving patrols in Cook, DuPage, Kane and Will counties during August.

The state police will focus on distracted driving laws to prevent traffic deaths and crashes with serious injuries, according to a news release from the ISP.

According to the National Highway Safety Administration, over 3,000 people are killed annually in crashes involving distracted driving and nearly one in every 10 crashes that result in injury involve a distracted driver.

All drivers are prohibited from reading, sending or receiving text messages or communication, video streaming and browsing the internet. Drivers under 18 are prohibited from using any cell phone, even in hands-free mode, according to the release.