(WXYZ) — Law enforcement agencies throughout metro Detroit are participating in Operation Ghost Rider, targeting distracted drivers in Michigan, aimed at reducing injuries and fatalities.
Led by the National Transportation Safety Organization, Operation Ghost Rider uses unmarked vehicles with law enforcement officers who spot distracted drivers. Those officers then alert a nearby marked unit to make a traffic stop.
Watch below: Previous coverage of a past Operation Ghost Rider
Participating agencies include:
- Michigan State Police
- Macomb County Sheriff's Office
- Oakland County Sheriff's Office
- Auburn Hills Police Department
- Chesterfield Township Police Department
- Clinton Township Police Department
- Dundee Police Department
- Shelby Township Police Department
- South Rockwood Police Department
- Sterling Heights Police Department
- Troy Police Department
- Utica Police Department
“Distracted driving continues to pose a serious threat to everyone on the road,” MSP Director Col. James F. Grady II said in a statement. “Each of us can take responsibility and do our part by putting our phones down while driving.”
A recent observational study from Michigan State University (MSU) found that mobile device use by drivers increased from 5.2 percent in 2024 to 5.7 percent in 2025.
According to MSP, motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers decreased by 4.6% in 2024, but the number of fatalities increased.
In 2023, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a law that makes it illegal to hold or manually use a cell phone or other mobile device while operating a vehicle on Michigan roads. This includes situations where a vehicle is stopped at a light or in traffic, but does not apply when the vehicle is legally parked.
