Police on the prowl for distracted drivers

LYNN – Local drivers are eating, reading, shaving, applying makeup behind the wheel – and, of course, texting – said police officers who are stepping up efforts to crack down on distracted driving.?Distracted driving is any activity that diverts a person?s attention away from the primary task of driving,” stated Police Chief Kevin Coppinger in a press release that warns Massachusetts anti-texting law carries fines ranging from $100 to $500.State public safety officials cited National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics in noting that 3,328 people died in 2012 in distracted driving accidents. Lynn Police Officer Timothy Nerich sees distracted drivers every day during patrols on local streets.?Operators are inattentive, on the phone. They are more involved in a full-fledged conversation with more attention on the phone than on the road,” he said.A Lynn officer for nine years, Nerich has seen drivers reading while driving and he recalled a woman driving with a dog on her lap.?It turned out she was in an accident,” he said.Local officers are focusing enforcement efforts on distracted driving as part of a national April crackdown on texting while driving. They are also reminding drivers and pedestrians to increase their alertness during upcoming warm weather months when more people are walking, crossing streets and more children are playing outdoors.?Drivers should be aware that kids are out on sidewalks, but kids should be aware and not horse around and end up in the street,” Nerich said.Nerich said pulling to the curb to talk on the phone or text takes a minute or two away from a motorist?s driving time but potentially prevents accidents and saves lives. He said mobile phone offenders are not limited to younger, technologically savvy drivers.?Everyone?s in a rush to get to and from,” he said.Driving with ear buds, added Nerich, is a form of impeded operation that attracts police attention.?If you have them on, you?re not even able to hear a siren,” he said.Nerich said it is easy to discount the demands placed on drivers even when they are not using the phone or distracted by other tasks. Driving in bad weather and keeping an eye out for other drivers demands an experienced motorist?s full set of skills. Drivers who exceed speed limits reduce their reaction and braking time even as they draw their attention away from the road by texting, phoning or other distractions.?You can get so engrossed in a conversation you?re not aware of your surroundings,” he warned.Police are also on the lookout for tailgating and road rage incidents, including one involving a local driver and a Peabody woman who was unfamiliar with Lynn streets. The woman apologized to the other driver, but Nerich said the encounter left the woman shaken.?I felt bad for her: It puts us in a poor light,” he said.