Some heroes don’t wear capes–some make signs.
Texting and driving has been against the law in Michigan since 2010, but that hasn’t stopped distracted driving from being a major cause of crashes according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. So, state police are getting a little sneaky in hopes of catching violators in the act.
Michigan State Police have officially initiated “Operation Ghostrider” which turns out has nothing to do with the Marvel superhero. In reality, officers have started riding around in unmarked cars while keeping an eye out for drivers breaking the law. If they see anyone giving in to distractions behind the wheel, these undercover cars will radio ahead to cruisers ready to pounce on the unsuspecting scum.
“Son, you know you shouldn’t be playing Pokemon Go behind the wheel.”
There are three main types of distractions that Michigan State Police are going to watch for: stuff that takes you eyes off the road, stuff that takes your hands off the wheel, and stuff that takes your mind off driving in general. A lot of the activities that can get you busted are common sense things like texting, eating, drinking, grooming–yes, people actually do that in the car! But cops are also going to be keeping an eye out for drivers reading maps, fidgeting with navigation systems, reaching for far away items, and even in some cases talking to passengers! The fine for distracted isn’t cheap either. For your first offense, you’ll dish out $100. After that, distracted driving with land you with a $200 ticket.
Was pulling up your Pitbull playlist worth it? Even without the cop, the answer would be no.
So the next time you get behind the wheel, use your head or get busted; it’ll help keep everyone safe and you wallet filled with Benjamins.
