News

Actions

Texting in front of a state trooper shows danger of distracted driving

Posted at 7:15 AM, Apr 18, 2017
and last updated 2017-04-18 07:19:20-04

LANSING, Mich. -- Inside a Michigan State Police cruiser, I maneuvered between cones while texting, putting on makeup and catering to a fake baby.

I'm not sure what's more nerve wracking: chauffeuring an MSP trooper or attempting to drive flawlessly on camera while breaking the law.

With the help of Sgt. Andy Douville, I experienced the real time dangers of distracted driving on the MSP precision driving unit track in Lansing.

While I texted behind the wheel, I hit cones left and right. Imagine if those cones were a car or a child.

"I think it falls on all of us, the motoring public, just to be aware of the dangers of this," Sgt. Douville said. "I saw someone with their phone mounted in the dash of their car, right where the speedometer would be. It looked like they were watching the morning news."

Michigan law prohibits drivers from reading, typing or sending texts while driver. Fines go up to $240.

When you get a text or a call, pull over into a parking lot, says Douville.

You may have noticed an increased police presence on West Michigan highways in the past few weeks, that's partly because April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

In 2015, there were more than 7,500 crashes in Michigan involving distracted driving, 28 of them fatal.