With April being Distracted Driving month, Brighton police officers have been out enforcing laws against driving while distracted. According to Police chief Rob Bradford, that usually involves using a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle. Bradford tells WHMI that city police ran two, 4-hour operations this month in which they stationed an unmarked patrol car at select locations, and ended up with 30 citations. Bradford says it doesn’t matter whether the driver is using a cell phone for talking, scrolling or texting, it still amounts to distracted driving.

Michigan State Police are also operating a Distracted Driving program during April. Driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes and near-crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. For a first distracted driving offense, the fine is $100, while subsequent offenses result in a $200 fine.

There are three kinds of distracted driving: visual - taking your eyes off the road, manual - taking your hands off the wheel, and cognitive - taking your mind off what you're doing. While using a cell phone for talking or texting is the number one driver distraction, others include eating and drinking, talking to passengers, grooming, reading (including maps), using a PDA or navigation system, watching a video, or changing the radio station, CD, or MP3 player.

Bradford says city police will likely run two more Distracted Driving operations later this year. (TT)