Police pose as utility workers to catch distracted drivers

MARIETTA, Ga. – It’s been nearly a year since a law combating distracted driving passed in Georgia, and police are getting creative to make sure drivers keep adhering to it.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports three Marietta police officers posed as utility workers Wednesday. They sought drivers on their phones or not wearing a seat belt near a busy intersection.

Once they spotted a violator, the undercover officers radioed police in nearby parking lots. Then, those officers pulled over the drivers.

Officials say Marietta and Cobb police wrote 141 tickets and made three arrests. Georgia state troopers wrote 29 tickets.

Under the “Hands-Free Georgia Act,” drivers aren’t allowed to hold a phone or use any other part of their body to support the device. Violators may be fined and get points on their license.

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Information from: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, http://www.ajc.com