According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over 3,200 lives were lost in 2024 due to distracted driving. 

On the WHOW Morning Show on Tuesday, Monticello Police Chief Rob Bross told the Hart Media Group that April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. While it may seem like just a quick text or a glance away from the road, it could be the cause of a very avoidable accident. 

While avoiding driving distracted is important year-round, the Chief notes that with the weather warming up, there is a sharp increase in bicyclists, dog walkers, kids, and other pedestrians that you could not see while looking at your phone.

Chief Bross emphasized that distracted driving is unacceptable when children and their parents are out walking to school. The importance is only increased by the fact that kids often are not thinking about the dangers of crossing the road in an inappropriate place or without looking both ways. 

Distracted driving awareness doesn't stop after April, as Monticello and many central Illinois communities begin to kick off the season of outdoor activities.