‘Sucked Into Their Cellphone:’ Ride-Along On A Distracted Driving Patrol

Middletown Township Police Department Officer Jeff Wagner cruised local roadways this week looking for obvious signs of distracted driving. And he didn’t have to look all that hard to find them.

A woman looking at her phone along a busy roadway. Another with a phone screen inches from her face as a traffic signal turned from red to green. And a delivery driver who was tapping away on his screen coming up to a busy intersection.

After spotting each one fairly easily, he switched his marked patrol vehicle’s red and blue lights on. If needed, a quick whoop of the siren alerted the driver to pull over.

One driver, who had been distracted by a cellphone, jumped as they realized the Dodge Durango had been following them with its emergency lights activated.

The stops were part of an enforcement wave by local and state police across the region that runs through the end of the weekend.

LevittownNow.com was invited to ride along on one patrol Thursday morning.

Wagner issued both warnings and citations, with the majority of stopped motorists admitting they were using a device.

“The most common thing we see is someone sitting at a stoplight and the light turns green. The car in front doesn’t go anywhere,” Wagner said. “And then you beep your horn. You see their head pop up from their cellphone, and then they take off because they were too sucked into their cellphone.”

Wagner shared that officers have even caught motorists watching TikTok videos or movies while traveling on local highways.

“You’ll see these guys and girls doing 80 mph down the road while watching,” Wagner said. “It’s awful. It really is.”

While the enforcement drive uses high-visibility targeted patrols to curb behavior, Wagner said that officers in Middletown Township remain on the lookout for distracted driving at all times.

Distracted driving continues to rank among the main causes of motor vehicle crashes, injuries and fatalities. Even a momentary lapse creates risks for drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and bicyclists.

June 5 ended a one-year grace period where drivers received warnings instead of tickets as part of Paul Miller’s Law.

Statewide, thousands of tickets were issued within the first few days of the grace period ending, according to the Pennsylvania State Police.

The law bans drivers from using handheld interactive mobile devices while operating a vehicle, including when stopped at red lights or idling in traffic. Violators face a $50 fine plus court costs and additional fees.

The legislation is named in memory of Paul Miller Jr., who was killed in a 2010 Monroe County crash caused by a driver reaching for a cellphone.

Pennsylvania’s existing ban on texting while driving also remains active, prohibiting sending, reading or writing text-based messages while a vehicle is moving.

Many motorists remain unaware that holding a device at a red light violates the law, Wagner said.

“Even stopped at a red light, you’re still in control of the vehicle, and you have to be aware of what’s going on around you,” Wagner said.

Under Paul Miller’s Law, drivers may still use hands-free technology for phone calls, GPS navigation and music, use devices to contact emergency services, or use handheld devices after pulling off the roadway to a complete stop.

Rich Vona, the Bucks County director of emergency services and law enforcement and safety, stressed that enforcement efforts aim to save lives rather than generate revenue.

“Our goal is not simply to issue citations,” Vona said. “Our primary objective is to change driver behavior, prevent crashes, and remind motorists that no text, call, or notification is worth risking a life.”

Law enforcement officials remind drivers to put phones away before driving, rely on hands-free tech only when needed without becoming distracted, pull over safely if a call or text is urgent, and keep full attention focused on the road at all times.