Put the Phone Away or Pay-LaPorte Police on the lookout for speeding and distracted driving

Officers with the LaPorte Police Department are on high alert as they participate in an
annual traffic safety campaign looking for people speeding or driving while distracted.
Distracted driving and speeding caused over 17,000 thousand crashes across Indiana in 2024, resulting
in 230 deaths.

To help save lives, the LaPorte Police Department is participating in a traffic safety campaign from April 5
through April 19. During the campaign, which is funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration with grants administered by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, motorists should
expect to see an increase in roving and high-visibility patrols.
“Distracted driving isn’t just risky, it’s deadly,” said James Bryan, ICJI’s Traffic Safety Director. “Taking
your eyes off the road for even just a few seconds can change a life forever. No text, call, or notification
is worth the cost of a crash.”

Distracted driving, which involves cellphone use or any activity that takes attention away from the task
of driving, is risky behavior that endangers everyone on the road, from the distracted driver and other
drivers to passengers, pedestrians, and cyclists. Drivers can prioritize safe driving by keeping their hands
on the wheel, their eyes on the road, and their focus on driving.

In 2020, Indiana passed a law prohibiting holding or using a mobile device such as a smartphone or
tablet. Since then, law enforcement agencies have worked to educate motorists, issuing 7,684 handsfree citations and 11,203 warnings in 2024 alone. Violating the law is a Class C infraction, which carries a
fine of up to $500 and results in points being added to an individual’s driver’s license.

“Speed limits exist for a reason, and so does Indiana’s hands-free law,” said Chief Matthew
Drangmeister. “Our priority is keeping our community safe, and we will be enforcing the law to ensure
that happens.”

For more information on distracted driving, visit www.nhtsa.gov/campaign/distracted-driving, or for
more information about Indiana’s hands-free device driving law, visit www.HandsFreeIndiana.com. For
more information on speeding, visit www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/speeding.