WATERFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — The Oakland County Sheriff's Office is warning drivers that it is conducting an operation targeting distracted drivers this week and next week.
Starting Tuesday, deputies will be out along the M-59 corridor in marked and unmarked vehicles watching for drivers who may be distracted.
"I can tell you, as a former accident investigator and a fatal traffic investigator, distracted driving is the cause for very many dangerous crashes and fatal crashes," Sheriff Michael Bouchard said.
According to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, Operation Ghost Rider, which began in 2017, aims to reduce distracted driving-related crashes and promote safer habits on the road.
"If you're holding your cellphone and you're driving, even if you're stopped at a red light, the law doesn't permit that," Bouchard said.
Hear more from Sheriff Michael Bouchard in the video player below:
Samir Mazahem, a Waterford resident who travels on M-59 every day for work, has witnessed the dangers firsthand.
"Actually today, as I was coming home on 1-75, a driver, who was holding his phone right in his hand, almost rear-ended me," Mazahem said.
Another driver, Scott Costello from White Lake, called distracted driving an epidemic, as he often sees drivers not paying attention.
"You know, she was trying to watch the road, time the lights, but she's scrolling and texting and everything else, and I'm like oh my God, if I didn't know any better, I swear you were under the influence of something," Costello said.
Bouchard says distracted driving is just as dangerous as drunken driving.
"Because you're not focused on the road, and obviously then you don't have the same ability to react if a car stops, if a pedestrian steps out, if there's an emergency, and that causes lives," Bouchard said.
The sheriff warns drivers — especially now during deer season — to be alert and focused on the road at all times. If not, deputies will be handing out tickets.
"So, just do the smart thing: put your phone down or put it in a hands-free mode and focus on the road. Simplest thing, easy thing and unfortunately, a lot of people don't do that," Bouchard said.
Operation Ghost Rider runs from Tuesday, Oct. 21 through Tuesday, Oct. 28.
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