(WWJ) – Michigan State Police and multiple agencies across the Metro Detroit area will be out in full force starting Monday looking for distracted drivers as they carry out Operation Ghost Rider.
The operation, which has been activated over the last several years, aims to reduce distracted driving deaths and injuries. It is coordinated by the Metro-Detroit based nonprofit Transportation Improvement Association (TIA) and funded by the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP).
Operation Ghost Rider uses unmarked spotter vehicles, which contain a law enforcement passenger. When the spotters observe a distracted driver, they radio a fully marked law enforcement unit to initiate a traffic stop.
MSP First Lt. Mike Shaw says distracted driving crashes are “100% preventable.”
“We will continue to educate motorists and hope that personal accountability will help decrease distracted driving. But we also know enforcement is key,” Shaw said, per a press release.
Drivers who use a hand-held device are 4 times more likely to get into a crash serious enough to cause injury, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Texting drivers are 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash.
Agencies participating in Monday’s operation 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, Taylor Police Department, and Utica Police Department.
“Distracted driving continues to be a top traffic safety concern on our roads,” said Jim Santilli, CEO of TIA and chairman of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Advisory Commissions’ Distracted Driving Action Team. “We can save lives by simply keeping our eyes on the road and hands on the wheel at all times. We hope Operation Ghost Rider will further educate the public about the dangers of distracted driving.”
According to TIA, preliminary numbers for 2022 indicate 57 people were killed and 5,905 were injured in 15,441 crashes involving a distracted driver in Michigan.
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