Illinois Valley

La Salle County Sheriff’s Office issues over 200 citations during distracted driving campaign

Statewide campaign targets cellphone use, speeding and seat belt violations during April

The La Salle County Sheriff’s Office handed out more than 200 citations in April during a statewide effort looking curb distracted driving in the region.

During Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April, the enforcement campaign resulted in 84 tickets for cellphone use behind the wheel, 56 for speeding, and 15 for seat belt or child car seat violations.

Deputies also cited drivers for suspended or expired registrations, no insurance, and other traffic offenses. One person was arrested on an outstanding warrant.

“We enforce traffic laws for one reason - to save lives,” said Sheriff Adam Diss. “This campaign was about keeping people safe and encouraging drivers to put their phones down and pay attention to the road.”

La Salle County joined forces with the Illinois State Police and other local departments for the campaign, which was funded by federal traffic safety money through the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Bill Freskos

Bill Freskos is a multimedia journalist based in the Illinois Valley. He covers hard news, local government, sports, business enterprise, and politics while contributing to Shaw Local Radio stations for Shaw Media across La Salle, Bureau, and Putnam counties.