Drivers might want to think twice the next time they want to send a text or take a Snapchat while driving around the Sterling Heights, Michigan intersection of Hall Road and Schoenherr Road. Police have promised to crack down on distracted driving around that intersection, as it has been ranked by the Michigan State Police as the 8th most dangerous intersection in Michigan.
The tight enforcement of distracted driving will be a team effort, as the intersection falls on the city borders of Utica, Sterling Heights, and Shelby Township. The video news story posted on ClickOnDetroit this morning featured an officer pulling over a driver who was traveling 60 mph, which is well over the posted speed limit of 45 mph. Going 15 miles per hour over the speed limit is legal grounds for a reckless driving ticket. Within a time frame of less than an hour, officers at the intersection pulled over several other drivers for careless driving, reckless driving, and distracted driving.
“This is a matter of life and death. We have people on the streets dying in the United States of America because somebody felt it was so important to respond to a text or an email while driving,” Sterling Heights Police Department Chief John Berg said. The tri-city effort to curb distracted driving in the area is being called “Operation Blue Light”.
As previously stated, this intersection is ranked the 8th most dangerous intersection in the state of Michigan. Leading causes to this ranking are the speed that drivers travel at on Hall Road, as well as the high volume of traffic the area experiences on a daily basis. Add in a dose of distracted driving, and the likelihood of an auto accident increases dramatically. "If you just look around in your cars you will see everyone on their cell phones, it’s actually kind of embarrassing,” Shelby Township Police Chief Robert Shelide told Local 4 News.
The enhanced crackdown on distracted driving will begin on June 20th, as police will be looking for drivers who are not paying attention to the road or are using their cell phones while driving. The police departments want drivers to know that they are not doing this to simply write tickets, but to save a life instead. Traffic signs and billboards will be scattered throughout the area to bring awareness to drivers.
If a driver feels it is necessary to use their cell phone while in the vehicle, they are strongly encouraged to pull over and come to a complete stop before sending a message or picture. Distracted driving is becoming a dangerous trend in the United States. Cell phones are estimated to be involved in 1.6 million automobile accidents each year, leading to 6,000 fatalities, according to Don’tTextandDrive.com.
Distracted drivers not only put other drivers' lives at risk, they also put their own lives at risk. No text or email or picture is worth ruining someone's life over. If you our somebody you know has been injured in an auto accident because of distracted driving, call The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC. Our attorneys realize the long-term physical and emotional effects a car accident may have on a victim, and they will not rest until you get the help that you deserve. Call us today, at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free consultation.