How easy it is for police to catch distracted drivers

SALT LAKE CITY — Despite state lawmakers passing a bill this year to lower the penalty for distracted driving in Utah, police want people to know it's still a problem, and it's still illegal.

In fact, they shared with KSL some dead giveaways that make distracted drivers easy to spot.

You don't have to admit it out loud, but do you ever text and drive? Do your hair, your makeup? Brush your teeth, or have something to eat behind the wheel? The Unified Police Department said you'd be surprised at what some drivers try to do.

"I've seen people eating a bowl of cereal," said Sgt. Aymee Race, with UPD.

Not only could it be a messy problem, but police told KSL that any of these distracted driving habits pose a danger to others.

"What people are failing to forget is this: When kids are going to school, this is when people have cars full of children going to school or coming home, and it's not the time or place to be doing those things," Race said.

You've probably heard warnings like that before, but the Utah Highway Safety Office reported distracting driving was a factor in an average of at least 6.5% of all deadly crashes in Utah over the last 10 years.

The Utah Highway Safety Office said a lot of distracted driving goes underreported because drivers don't like to admit it.

Drivers may think they can do both at the same time, but police said the signs are easy to spot.

"The patterns ironically are very similar to people who are intoxicated while driving, either swerving from the road; when the light is green, and the rest of the traffic is proceeding, that car is stopped," Race said.

For police to pull you over, it doesn't take much. Even the newly amended Utah law HB24 states that drivers who commit "two or more moving traffic violations" — like swerving, looking at your phone or doing your hair — in 3 miles or less are guilty of careless driving and can get a ticket.

If a person causes a deadly crash, they could get their license revoked.

Police said the best way to avoid a ticket, or worse, is just not to do it. Give yourself some more time to do whatever you're doing before you get behind the wheel.

"You know, pull over, give yourself 15 extra minutes or set that alarm a little bit earlier to get ready for work so you can do this at home," Race said.

Police hope that's enough to motivate people to put the distractions down and stay focused on the road ahead.

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