Columbus Police write 80 citations during Macon Road distracted driving sting

Macon Road was not the place to use your cell phone while you were driving on Tuesday morning.

For the second time this summer, the Columbus Police Department Motor Squad set up a sting operation aimed at bringing awareness to distracted driving. During a two-hour period, Columbus Police wrote 80 traffic citations during an operation aimed at distracted drivers, police said.

“People have to realize how dangerous this is,” said Maj. J.D. Hawk. “They are putting their life at risk and they are putting the lives of other motorists at risk when they are not paying attention while they are driving.”

The undercover operation in front of the Columbus Public Library started about 7 a.m., Lt. Clyde Dent said. Just as they did on June 1 on Bradley Park Drive, officers posed as a work crew that was tasked with identifying violations. The Macon Road sting wrapped up shortly after 9 a.m.

Of the 80 tickets written, 37 of them were for distracted driving, Dent said. The others were for failure to wear a seat belt and running red lights, as well as insurance, license and tag violations that stemmed from the traffic stops.

The previous operation at Bradley Park Drive resulted in 96 citations, police said at the time. Most of those cases have worked their way through the courts.

As they did on June 1, officers were looking for people using cell phones to do something other than talk. Under Georgia law, it is not illegal to talk on a cell phone, but you cannot text or email while in control of a motor vehicle. That includes if you are stopped at a traffic signal.

A conviction for distracted driving in Columbus Recorder’s Court carries a fine and court costs of $200.63.

The undercover officers were posing as a roadside work crew. They would spot the violations, then radio information to a motorcycle officer who would make the traffic stop and write the ticket. About 15 police officers were involved in the operation.

The spotters were detailing exactly what the driver was doing with the phone, and which hand they were using. They were also giving detailed descriptions of the vehicles, including in some cases tag numbers.

“We are being much more specific this time,” Dent said.

The stings, even though they can draw harsh public criticism, will continue, Dent said.

“We may vary it a little and get more creative with it,” Dent said.

One of the reasons the police are using this tactic is because of the number of traffic fatalities in Columbus, Hawk said.

So far this year, there have been 21 traffic fatalities in Columbus. With more than four months remaining in the year, the city is on pace to eclipse the 27 traffic fatalities last year. There is no way of knowing how many of those fatalities are connected to distracted driving, but Hawk said he is confident a number of them are.

“We are trying to get the point across,” Hawk said. “We are tired of seeing people killed.”

This story was originally published August 15, 2017 at 3:05 PM with the headline "Columbus Police write 80 citations during Macon Road distracted driving sting."