(La Porte County, IN) - The odds of being caught using a cell phone in your hand while driving will soon go up.

La Porte County Police will be among the law enforcement agencies nationwide taking part in an upcoming blitz, which is scheduled to begin April 5. For two weeks, more patrol officers looking for cell phone violators will be on the roads.

Police said drivers should be focused entirely on driving, not distracted by a cell phone in their hands.

Distracted driving along with speeding were blamed for causing more than 17,000 motor vehicle crashes statewide last year. 230 deaths resulted from those collisions, police said.

“Speed limits exist for a reason and so does Indiana’s hands-free law.  Our priority is to keep all motorists and passengers traveling on La Porte County roadways safe and we will be enforcing the law to ensure that happens,” said La Porte County Police Capt. Derek Allen.