CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — Distracted driving remains one of the leading causes of crashes on Virginia roads, prompting local law enforcement to crack down on drivers using their cell phones behind the wheel.
In 2024 alone, state police reported distracted driving contributed to more than 20,000 crashes, 90 lives lost, and over 11,000 injuries. Investigators said nearly a quarter of those drivers had their eyes off the road.
In Chesterfield County, Officer Scott Cary has made distracted driving a priority. He watches for phones in drivers' hands and counts just how long their attention drifts away from the road.
"It's so dangerous to drive while using your cell phone," Cary said. "When you have your eyes off the road at 45 mph, you're traveling over 60 feet a second. So in five seconds, you've covered an entire football field with the windshield blacked out in front of you while you were looking down at your phone."
I rode along with Cary. During the patrol, it did not take long before he spotted a distracted driver. He counted to 20 seconds as the driver had both hands off the steering wheel before initiating a traffic stop.
WATCH: Why Chesterfield officer refuses to give warnings for this common driving mistake
Cary said this happens often, typically resulting in two to three stops every hour. He said these violations are far too common across the county.
"I do not give warnings for cell phone violations because it's a conscious choice you make to pick up your cell phone and drive blind, endangering the other motorists around you," Cary said.
Enforcement is focused on prevention and stopping crashes before they happen.
"Especially with the cell phone violations, we have so many rear-end collisions that happen in the county that are sort of unexplained," Cary said. "It's a straight stretch of roadway. There's obvious reasons why you should've seen that car stopped in front of you, but you ran into the back of them."
The goal is not to write tickets, but to change behavior before a crash happens. In just a few seconds of looking down at a phone, a routine drive can turn into a life-changing mistake.
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