Police Cracking Down on Distracted Driving Along Route 2
Marked and unmarked police vehicles will be looking out for texters, eaters and more on Route 2 between Route 50 and Route 100.
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UPDATE (12:20 p.m.)—Anne Arundel County police are attempting to crack down on distracted driving throughout the area by initiating special enforcement practices along Route 2, including between Route 50 and Route 100, according to a press release.
In an effort called “Operation Eagle,” police are seeking to address “the growing problem of distracted driving,” and addressing it in its various forms, such as texting, handling pets or eating while driving, the release stated.
“Distracted driving is described as any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving,” according to the release. “The behavior of texting while driving has shown to be particularly dangerous as it causes drivers to take their eyes off of the road more than other forms of distracted driving.”
Police will begin conducting special enforcement efforts on Route 2 in Edgewater, Parole, near Ordnance Road in Glen Burnie, between Route 50 and Route 100 in Severna Park, and along Route 3 in the Crofton area starting Friday, according to the release.
Officers will conduct the initiative during two specific days of enforcement waves each month using both marked and unmarked vehicles. Police will also distribute handouts about the dangers of distracted driving in addition to issuing warnings and citations, according to the release.
“The goal of the operation is to reduce serious crashes while aiming to change behaviors of drivers,” the release stated.
The police department reminded residents that driving while writing, sending or reading a text message is punishable by a $70 fine and one point on your driver’s license.
To clarify, police spokesman Justin Mulcahy told Patch that officers won't pull someone over just for eating food and driving, but that swerving is enough of a reason to stop a driver.
"There are behaviors such as a car swerving which may result in a traffic stop as a primary offense and it may then be learned that someone was distracted such as eating or on a phone which is a secondary offense ... only texting is a primary offense," Mulcahy told Patch in an email.
Do you ever drive while distracted? How serious of a problem is it?
cynthia
11:25 am on Saturday, July 14, 2012
It's about time! If people would simply use common sense this would not be
necessary. Whenever I am in a vehicle, I am always looking for the distracted driver, usually their head is looking down. I blow the horn to get them to look up.
dbcrickett
6:57 pm on Saturday, July 14, 2012
All the police need to do is put an unmarked car in front of Giant. People talking on their phones almost run down pedestrians in the crosswalk. It's a very dangerous parking lot.
ER
8:56 pm on Saturday, July 14, 2012
Yeah Just today. defensivly driving around a erratic driver,and low and behold she was texting on rt 10 to the 100 exchange. I see this a lot on Rt 50, drivers already are impaient and speed way over the limit. Add people on cell phones its a pile up waiting to happen.Personally I think the speed limit on Rt 2 should be 45. That way drivers may actually only do 55 as an average. People are going to speed its in our driving dna and making up time on the road.Hopefully more people take care.
Randy Roberts
6:41 am on Sunday, July 15, 2012
Just post a cop at every red light on Ritchie Highway. When it turns green half the cars will not moving because they are staring into their laps reading or writing texts. Then the people behind them have to sit through the light again.