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Officers try new way to crack down on distraction

For many years now, drunk driving has been a key focus in Maryland with advocacy groups and law enforcement alike working hard to highlight the dangers of this behavior. While there remains room for improvement as sadly too many people still choose to hop in their cars after they have downed several drinks, impaired driving is no longer the only such killer on the roads.

Distracted driving has skyrocketed in the public awareness as a major hazard to the safety of everyone on the road from motorists to pedestrians alike. Certainly the use of phones has taken center stage in the discussions about distracted driving but it is far from the only form of such activity.

With more than 30,000 crashes in 2017 estimated to have involved some form of distracted driving, Maryland State Troopers are apparently looking for new ways to crack down on these actions in an effort to keep people safer. One report recently highlighted a clever approach where an officer was positioned along an interstate with a bucket and a sign looking not at all like a state trooper. However, his bucket contained a radio that allowed him to communicate with other troopers ahead when he saw people driving distracted. In addition to phone use, reading a book on the steering wheel is just one behavior he witnessed.

While officers continue to do their part, it may be helpful for those injured by distracted drivers to speak with a lawyer about how they make seek compensation after a crash.

Source: NBC Washington, “Md. Trooper in Disguise Stops Dozens of Distracted Drivers,” Pat Collins and Andrea Swalec, April 18, 2018

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