ST. CLOUD, Fla. – Most of us have trouble walking and using our phones, so just imagine how dangerous it is driving and using your phone on the roadways. It’s why St. Cloud Police are performing an operation to crackdown on distracted driving.
Several officers on Thursday patrolled roadways near US-192 and Commerce Center Drive.
“All together combined, we pull over anywhere from 50-80 cars over during these operations,” St. Cloud police Officer Ryan Manning said.
It’s the fourth distracted operations the department is conducting this year to get drivers to follow the law.
“We work a lot of crashes just this area. A lot of them are rear-end in nature. Typically due to a distraction inside the vehicle, commonly the cellphone,” Manning said.
[RELATED: It’s not just texting: Here’s what counts as distracted driving]
Public Information Andrew Sullivan said the enforcement program is being backed by a $27,000 grant the Florida Department of Transportation awarded in September.
“This will take the burden off of taxpayers essentially. It allows officers to come in and do these operations and still maintain our regular staffing levels,” Sullivan said.
If you get caught on the phone while you’re driving, it’s $116 fine in St. Cloud and that jumps up to $160 in St. Cloud if you’re in a school zone or work zone.
It’s not all about fines. Officers said it’s about educating people to help save lives.
“These days a lot of our lives are connected to cellphones. It’s hard to separate from them but when you’re driving, we want you to focus on the road,” Manning said.
During their stops, officers are also handing out information with tips and education about the law.
They plan on conducting four more operations later this year.
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