Illinois Troopers Are Riding In Semis To Catch Distracted Drivers

Illinois State Police are getting crafty to catch distracted drivers. 

If you're susceptible to using your phone while driving you may want to pay attention to semis passing you by. Or, of course, you could just stop using your damn phone while driving. The choice is yours.

WTHR - Troopers are now riding along with semi drivers to get a higher vantage point of others on the road. It's something those truck drivers have seen for years.

"The texting is horrible. The cutting off trucks, changing lanes without turn signals. Stuff like that is what needs to be avoided," said Joseph Newman of Newman Carriers.

Tuesday, Illinois troopers climbed into one of Newman's semis and headed down Interstate 55. When they spotted someone using a phone behind the wheel, they'd radio to patrol cars who pulled over the erring drivers.

Illinois Troopers said that they issued 13 citations the first day they did it. And they weren't even being nitpicky about it.

Officer Newman said that they weren't just looking for people with their phones in their laps, they were pulling people over who were obviously engaging with their phone while driving.

Listen, this isn't anything new. We all see people texting and not paying attention all the time while driving. You might even be guilty yourself, we're not judging. Just know that the police are out there and they WILL pull you over if you're misbehaving.