DCSO cracking down on distracted driving

Buckle your seat belt, put your phone down and pay attention on the roads. The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is increasing traffic patrols and cracking down on distracted drivers this weekend, using unmarked cars as part of a safety blitz.

“It’s a major issue. It’s stuff that we see every single day. I see it every day, so I know everybody else does,” said Detective Ron Brown

He said he pulled over about 15 people on Friday.

“I was texting and being an irresponsible driver,” one stopped motorist acknowledged..

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every day, at least eight people are killed and almost 1,200 are injured in accidents around the country involving a distracted driver.

Brown said this sting, which is also using unmarked cars, is not about giving out citations. It’s about sending a message and reminding people to focus on the road when they’re driving. He said most of the people he pulled over admitted they were doing something wrong.

“I think it was honestly probably a good thing that happened,” one driver said, “because you need a reminder every now and then that being on your phone is a dangerous kind of thing.”.

The safety blitz will last through Sunday.