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CALL 6: Police use technology to find distracted drivers

Posted at 10:15 PM, Jul 25, 2017
and last updated 2017-07-25 23:27:29-04

As Indiana highways have seen several major crashes involving semi-trucks that have killed families from across the state due to distracted driving, Indiana State Police continues to use technology to enforce rules on the road.

Police said it only takes a short time for distracted drivers to cause an accident.

"All it takes is two seconds, and they travel several hundred feet and if they're not paying attention to the traffic conditions before they even realize it, before they even hit the brakes,” said trooper Nick Klingkammer.

On Friday police said they believe a truck driver, who later died, was distracted when he slammed into another semi on I-70.  Just three days before that crash, two children were killed in an accident involving a semi on I-70 near Terre Haute.

To catch distracted drivers in the act, ISP uses undercover vehicles that blend in with traffic.

“The function of the car is to blend in with traffic, to catch violators that are going to behave like they normally do without the presence of law enforcement," said Klingkammer.

He said many drivers can’t tell they are law enforcement vehicles until sirens begin to flash.

The U.S. Department of Transportation reports distracted driving killed more than 3,400 people across the country in 2015, and the numbers continue to grow each year.

 

RELATEDWATCH: Dashcam video shows semi driver crash into the back of another vehicle | Two children killed in Terre Haute crash identified, mother and sibling hospitalized