Police Crack Down On Distracted Driving

berriensheriff-7
berriensheriff-7

The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department is teaming up with other law enforcement agencies around southwest Michigan to crack down on distracted driving this month.

Starting Monday and running through April 21, police officers will be keeping their eyes peeled for drivers who are not paying enough attention to the road.

The sheriff’s department tells WSJM News there are three main types of driver distraction. First, there’s taking your eyes off the road. Second is taking your hands off the steering wheel, and third is taking your mind off the task at hand. Cell phones are a good way to succumb to all three.

Michigan has a law against texting when behind the wheel, and violating it could get you a $100 to $200 fine. Police say there were more than 3,400 people killed in distracted driving crashes in 2016, and distractions factor into about 10% of all crashes.

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month.