PEORIA, Ill. -- The trucking industry is partnering with law enforcement in the crackdown on distracted driving.
Beginning on Friday, some semi-trucks will be turned into moving billboards carrying an important message.
State and federal officials used the opening of the annual Mid-West Truckers Truck and Trailer Show at the Peoria Civic Center to roll out a new traffic safety initiative. The 'Watch the Road' campaign encourages motorists to put away their cell phones and other electronic devices when they're behind the wheel.
"We want to focus much more clearly on distracted driving and try to get people, particularly younger drivers, to turn off the cell phones," said John Webber, interim director of traffic safety for the Illinois Department of Transportation.
To kick off the campaign, the Mid-West Truckers Association handed out large 2-foot by 2-foot stickers that will be displayed on the back of semi's and bumper stickers for smaller vehicles.
Anne Ferro from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Division says the stickers are simply a vehicle to drive home a point.
"The average driver who texts while driving removes their eyes from the road for 4.6 seconds. At 55 miles per hour, that's the length of a football field. Think about that when you're watching the Super Bowl this weekend," Ferro said.
It's already against the law for truck drivers to use hand held devices. They can't even talk on a cell phone when they're behind the wheel. Additionally, there's currently legislation in the Illinois House that would extend that ban to all motorists. The executive vice-president of the Mid-West truckers Association would like to see it pass.
"We feel if it's a good rule for the truckers, it's a good rule for the car drivers," said Don Schaefer.
For three consecutive years, Illinois has seen fewer than 1,000 traffic fatalities. A high-ranking member of the Illinois State Police points to distracted driving awareness campaigns and the ban on texting while driving.
"I think it certainly helps," said ISP Colonel Mark Piccoli. "Being honest, before the ban and before our state police policy where we are not allowed to text way before the law, I had done it. And there's no doubt in my mind that it was distracting."
Authorities hope motorists get the message.
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