GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — If you text and drive, police are watching for you.
Michigan State Police are working hard to stop distracted driving in Kent County with a new operation that just launched this week.
Trooper Ryan Doyle is one of the officers involved in the operation, an all-seeing eye, catching drivers texting while speeding down the highway.
"We're provided funds to enforce these specific types of motor vehicle code," says Doyle.
An undercover trooper drives ahead, spotting drivers on their phones. They'll radio back to a uniformed trooper who then pulls that driver over.
On their first day of the operation, Doyle had a busy day.
"I had at least, like, eight citations," says Doyle. "My partner probably had about nine."
Which Doyle says isn't unusual for this time of year, when people feel more confident on the roads.
"You'd assume you'd have more crashes in the winter," says Doyle. "But when roads are bad, people are obviously going to be more attentive because they know the likelihood of crashing is higher."
So, what are troopers looking for? First, you're okay glancing at your phone while stopped.
"They need to be moving in their vehicle," says Doyle.
Fines vary by what you're found doing. Texting can get a distracted driving ticket.
But if you're also putting others in danger, you could get a careless driving citation, which comes with a larger fine. A ticket that will hopefully save a life.
"That's I guess why we're doing this, to kind of send the message of how dangerous it is," says Doyle.
The MSP will be out conducting this operation into next week.
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