Police crackdown on cell phone use starts on Saturday

Police will be looking for drivers with cell phones in hand or otherwise distracted during the “Put the Phone Away or Pay” enforcement blitz starting on Saturday.

State and local officers are taking part in the two week enforcement campaign which will run through April 19th. Officers will be looking for those driving while distracted, who are speeding or otherwise driving dangerously.

Officials say distracted driving and speeding caused more than 17,000 thousand crashes across Indiana last year, which led to 230 deaths.

The campaign is being funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with grants administered by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.