Michigan distracted driving crackdown: You won’t see police car until lights are flashing
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Next time you're behind the wheel, keep your focus on the road — especially with Operation Ghost Rider underway in multiple counties.
Giving into temptation and grabbing your phone while driving could cost you hundreds of dollars in fines or hours of community service. It's been four months since Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation banning cellphone use while driving, in an effort to curb traffic crashes due to distracted driving.
Law enforcement officials from the Michigan State Police, county sheriff’s offices, and local police departments are kicking off Operation Ghost Rider to patrol for distracted drivers in unmarked vehicles. The initiative, coordinated by the Transportation Improvement Association (TIA), uses unmarked spotter cars with a law enforcement officer in the passenger seat monitoring for distracted drivers. Once spotted, a visible law enforcement unit is radioed in to conduct a traffic stop.
“Despite knowing the risks, distracted drivers continue to put themselves and the innocent people around them at risk,” said Jim Santilli, CEO of the TIA and chairman of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Advisory Commission's Distracted Driving Action Team. “Sadly, many people have lost a loved one to a completely preventable behavior. We can all do our part by keeping our eyes on the road and hands on the wheel at all times.”
According to the TIA, crash reports for 2022 indicate 57 people were killed and 5,905 were injured in 15,441 motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver in Michigan.
Participating agencies include the Auburn Hills Police Department, Chesterfield Township Police Department, Clinton Township Police Department, Macomb County Sheriff’s Office, Michigan State Police, Oakland County Sheriff's Office, Shelby Township Police Department, Sterling Heights Police Department, Troy Police Department and Utica Police Department.
According to the TIA, penalties are: first violation, $100 fine and/or 16 hours of community service; second or subsequent violations, $250 fine and/or 24 hours of community service; three violations within a three-year period, driver must complete a driving-improvement course. Fines are doubled if a traffic crash occurs and the at-fault driver was holding or manually using a mobile device while operating the vehicle.
Contact Miriam Marini: mmarini@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Operation Ghost Rider: Michigan police ready to nab distracted drivers
