- Original Article by UpNorthLive.com, 7 and 4 News, Traverse City / Cadillac
Troopers across six different states are teaming up to crack down on distracted drivers – something they say is comparable to drunk drivers.
Michigan State Police troopers will join Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia to stop distracted drivers next week.
Troopers say this includes using your phone while driving, and also not wearing your seat belt, speeding, and driving aggressively or impaired.
The collaboration comes from law enforcement seeing drivers, especially young drivers, getting hurt or killed by driving distracted.
“A distracted driver is pretty typical of a drunk driver, or somebody that’s under the influence of narcotics,” said Trooper Rich Hall of the Michigan State Police. “So it’s the same thing – they’re driving too fast, they’re driving too slow, sometimes they’ll speed up then slow down – very erratic driving that we see inside the car and outside the car. A lot of them do go off the road, some of them cross the center line.”
Troopers say they want to focus on making this an educational week for everyone and stress that when you’re in your car, stay focused on the road.