Sheriff’s office cracks down on speeding, distracted driving

August 19, 2024

Deputies issue 28 tickets in four hours

MASON COUNTY — The Mason County Sheriff’s Office made 64 traffic stops and issued 28 tickets during a traffic enforcement initiative on US 10 and US 31 Friday, Aug. 16, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., said Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole.

The initiative involved seven deputies “specifically assigned to the detail looking for distracted and aggressive driving,” said Sheriff Cole.

“Due to increased calls related to distracted driving, which included drivers on cell phones, the Mason County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic enforcement initiative on US 10 and US 31.”

Citations included 15 speeding citations — with the fastest being 91 mph in a 55 mph zone on US 10 — and four distracted driving citations involving cell phone use.

“Deputies also reported seeing ‘too many to count’ drivers on their cell phones, most of which deputies could not safely stop or turn around on due to high volumes of traffic,” said the sheriff.

“The men and women of the Mason County Sheriff’s Office are committed to ensuring our citizens and those traveling through our area can do so safely. To this end, we will continue to put teams of deputies out on the roadways with traffic safety as our main focus. This will be the first of many initiatives with the goal of seeing our motorists are safe while traveling in and around Mason County.

Michigan’s “Hands Free Law” went into effect June 30, 2023, making it a civil infraction to hold any cell phone device while driving a vehicle. “This includes while stopped at a traffic light, in traffic or at a stop sign,” said Sheriff Cole.

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