Drivers in Elkhart County may notice more patrol cars on the roads this month as law enforcement cracks down on distracted and aggressive driving.
The effort is part of a statewide enforcement campaign funded by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute. Known as Blitz 136, the current two-week initiative focuses on hands-free violations and speeding—two major factors in serious and fatal crashes.
“These enforcement periods are staffed by off-duty officers who volunteer to focus on violations like hands-free and speeding,” said Capt. Michael Culp, administrative services captain with the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office. “It helps educate the public and raise awareness, because obviously distracted driving is deadly—and so is speeding.”
Culp said distractions behind the wheel go far beyond cell phones.
“People that eat while they’re driving…putting on makeup…reading books. There’s a myriad of things people do while they’re driving,” he said.
While enforcement is key, Culp said public reporting plays a crucial role in identifying dangerous drivers.
“There’s many times where we have dangerous drivers reported and our officers are right there,” he said. “We really do count on those kinds of calls from the public, because we’re not everywhere.”
The Sheriff’s Office encourages drivers to report unsafe behavior through non-emergency lines—unless the situation is clearly hazardous, in which case 911 should be used.
Culp said the goal isn’t just to write tickets but to prevent crashes and save lives.
“We all gotta work together to be safer on the roads…and that’s an important part of it,” he said.
