Deputies to target distracted driving as new law goes into effect
CENTREVILLE – St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department plans a summerlong targeted enforcement, centering on distracted driving laws that went into effect last week.
Undersheriff Jason Bingaman said the agency has received a $33,000 grant from Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning. A portion of those funds, he said, will be used to pay overtime to deputies on targeted enforcement, looking specifically for distracted driving violators.
The enhanced patrol will be in place through Sept. 4.
“Because this is a new law, I see the value in making sure we get this information out to the public so everyone knows,” he said. “There are statistics that confirm distracted driving is a real thing, it’s a serious problem.”
Texting while driving was already illegal in Michigan, but the new law that started Friday forbids the use of a cell phone in any manner while driving. A few examples Bingaman cited include use of a mobile electronic device to do any task, including making or receiving a telephone call; sending or receiving a text; viewing, recording or transmitting a video; and accessing, reading or posting to a social network site.
Areas of enforcement in St. Joseph County will include busier stretches of roadways: U.S. 131, U.S. 12 and M-60, for example.
“This is not about generating revenue, despite what some people will assume and claim,” he said. “It’s really about making sure our roadways are safer. Safer for your family, safer for my family.”
He said education will be a key component of the targeted enforcement. Deputies will use their discretion whether to issue a warning instead of a citation, but public awareness is paramount to the program, Bingaman added.
Bingaman said he’s seen motorists engaged in all types of distracted driving beyond cell phone use, from putting on mascara while driving to reading a newspaper.
“What’s tragic then is when we lose somebody senselessly, all because someone couldn’t have waited five more minutes to get on their phone or five minutes to get somewhere to eat their fast-food meal,” he said. “Focus on what you need to do when you’re behind the wheel and get to where you’re going safely.”
A first offense for distracted driving comes with a $100 fine and 16 hours of community service. Consequences are greater for subsequent violations and for drivers of commercial vehicles.
Subscribe: Read about more community events by subscribing to the Sturgis Journal.
This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Deputies to target distracted driving as new law goes into effect
