Gary Police Announce Zero Tolerance Cell Phone Enforcement Starting April 1
Chicago (CBS) -- The Gary Police Department said it will conduct a week long zero tolerance cell phone enforcement campaign beginning Monday.
The department said it is reminding drivers that any device used while driving must be handsfree and that distracted driving is one of the leading causes of motor vehicle crashes.
According to the Indiana Department of Labor, people who text while driving are 23 times more likely to crash. There were 1,272 car crashes caused by distracted drivers using cell phones in Indiana in 2017.
Since 2011, it has been illegal to type, transmit or read email or text messages on a communications device while driving in Indiana. Violators may face fines of up to $500.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 3,450 people were killed by distracted driving in 2016 and 391,000 were injured by distracted driving in 2015.
