Illinois launches push to combat distracted driving

Brenda Protz lost her 14-year-old daughter in November 2019 in a distracted-driving crash.

Jenna and a friend were riding home from a football game with Jenna's paternal grandparents when their car was struck by a distracted driver. Jenna and the others in her car died; the other driver survived.

“Jenna’s life was cut short," said Protz, of Springfield, as she choked up at a news conference Monday. "Today, she should be a sophomore in college studying forensic science and playing basketball."

Now, Protz is working with the Illinois Secretary of State's Office on an initiative to curb distracted driving.

Named the “One Road. One Focus” campaign, the push will seek to educate drivers — particularly younger ones — about the dangers of texting, scrolling or even eating while driving.

“Distracted driving is dangerous, devastating. Yet it remains, for many, socially acceptable,” Secretary of State Alexis Giannoulias said Monday. “That’s why we need to treat it accordingly. We need to do more to stigmatize ‘intexticated’ driving.”

Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows 290,000 people were injured in distracted-driving crashes in 2022, while more than 3,000 were killed. The data indicates 15- to 34-year-old drivers are more likely to be distracted at the time of a deadly crash.

Under the new program, starting in January, teens applying for their instruction permit will have to watch a video that explains the consequences of distracted driving.

In addition, the Secretary of State’s Office will partner with the state Department of Transportation to erect signs to remind drivers to pay attention to the road in areas with high rates of distracted-driving crashes.

Plans also include collaborating with Illinois State Police to increase patrols and enforcement of traffic laws, proposing a grant program to increase funding for local law enforcement agencies to combat distracted driving, and conducting a social media campaign to raise awareness.

Giannoulias said his office has also sent a letter to all of Illinois’ state’s attorneys to remind them they can revoke the license of a person awaiting trial charged with a felony in a crash that was fatal or resulted in serious injuries.

That’s important for Protz. It took 4½ years for the suspect in her daughter's case to have their license revoked — and even then, only after Protz reached out to Giannoulias’ office for help. She supports encouraging state’s attorneys to use their revocation power.

“This project will be a great reminder to drivers that their actions behind the wheel, if positive, can prevent families from going through this tragedy," she said.

While the video for teens will be ready in January, the grant program to support local law enforcement agencies' anti-distracted-driving measures will need to go through the General Assembly for support, along with funding for the safety corridors.

Giannoulias said the grant proposal is similar to an anti-carjacking and vehicle theft grant program, which is funded by a $1 fee the insurance industry pays for every passenger vehicle covered.

Christina Whitehouse, founder of Bike Lane Uprising, said distracted driving is a public health crisis. She’s pleased with this first step and encouraged Illinois to not stop with these initial efforts.

“As a society, we’ve normalized distracted driving,” she said. “It’s got to stop. ... We’d like to take this moment to really urge all governmental agencies to really explore what opportunities they have to make our roadways safer as well.”