GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — One metro city says distracted drivers have become such a problem that they are launching a new unit just to battle the issue.
Last year, Norcross had more than 1,600 accidents in its 6 1/2 square miles. A good chunk of them happened on just two or three major roads like Jimmy Carter Boulevard.
Police believe the leading culprits are drivers texting or looking at something else in their car.
Channel 2’s Tony Thomas went out Monday with Norcross motorcycle officers as they searched for distracted drivers. It only took a few minutes before they spotted someone texting.
The two officers, riding brand new BMW police bikes, are a part of the new unit. Instead of responding to accidents, they are trying to prevent them.
“I didn't text as I was driving. I just looked at the phone,” said the teen who police pulled over.
But the officers say as he drove by at 40 mph along Indian Trail, they easily noticed something was distracting him.
“I was changing my music. I think it's pretty dangerous to do. I shouldn’t have been doing it,” the teen admitted.
The teenreceived a lesson and a ticket, one of the first handed out by the new motorcycle unit. As police researched what was behind all the wrecks, Capt. Bill Grogan says something stood out. It wasn't just where they were happening, but when.
“In the early part of the week, the vehicle crashes occur in the early morning hours. As you get to the end of the week, they happen in the later evening hours as people are going home,” Grogan said.
Norcross police hope to revisit those statistics early next year. They're aiming for a fifteen percent reduction.
Police hope by having two officers dedicated to solely looking for distracted drivers that will lower the number of accidents and in turn, free up other officers to more quickly respond to calls of burglaries, armed robberies and other crimes.
WSBTV
