State Police Crack Down On Distracted Drivers

BALTIMORE, Md, (WJZ) -- A call to all drivers to pay attention when behind the wheel.

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month and Maryland State Police will be increasing patrols.

Tracey Leong explains their effort to crackdown.

Whether you're texting on your phone or using a navigation system while driving, police say it call all lead to dangerous behavior on the road.

Keeping your attention on the road and eliminating anything that could divert your focus.

"Distracted driving causes a lot of collision and death in the state of Maryland and across the nation," Rodney Byrd, Senior Maryland State Police Trooper, said.

Law enforcement agencies across the state are cracking down on unsafe driving.

A video from AAA shows a distracted teen motorist.

Experts say texting is still the worst offender.

Since it involves visual, manual and cognitive attention -- taking your eyes off the road for an average of 5 seconds for each text.

"That five seconds could be the difference between you running into the back of someone's vehicle or changing lanes and hitting the car next to you," Byrd added.

A message they're driving home to motorists.

"I pay attention, and the biggest think I do is turn my phone off, and put it down, put it away from myself when I am driving," Robert Breeden, a driver, said.

"I've seen a lot of distracted drivers and I've learned from them," said motorist Aurangzeb Baig. "You know I've seen people cut in lanes and stop or rear-ended.

Police reminding drivers it's not just about the safety of you and your passengers, but everyone around you.

"Any collision could be your last collision," Byrd said.

Fines for using a handheld device while driving range from $83 for the first offense to $160 for the third offense.

The Maryland Transportation Authority will be educating drivers about distracted driving for the next week.