Authorities crack down on distracted drivers
PORTLAND, Ore. – It started with a glance. Then, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Deputy Kent Krumpschmidt was in hot pursuit.
“There’s someone on their phone right there,” he said.
Up ahead was a woman he believed wasn’t paying attention behind the wheel.
“They feel like they don’t have the ability to disconnect from the phone,” Krumpschmidt said afterward.“They have to respond to a text message immediately, answer the phone. They [have to] be connected at all times.”
Krumpschmidt was one of many officers targeting cell phone use behind the wheel on Wednesday. It’s part of a two-week effort by Portland Police, the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office, Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, and Oregon State Police.
As part of the sting, 125 citations were issued for unlawful use of a cellphone, 58 tickets for failure to use seatbelts, 14 speeding tickets were given and 71 various other citations issued, according to the Oregon State Police.
In addition, two drivers were arrested on suspicion of DUI and one stolen vehicle was recovered. A 29-year-old Portland man was arrested on a felony warrant and another man was found to be an out-of-compliance sex offender.
Some drivers come up with excuses, Krumpschmidt said. “He tried to tell me he was turning his phone off, but I’ve never seen someone turn their phone off by holding it to their ear.”
Fred Stanwood owned up to it when he was pulled over.
“I’m totally guilty. I have nothing to hide. And I shouldn’t have been doing it. That’s what I told him,” he said. “I shouldn’t have been on my phone, because I hate being next to or following people who are doing the same thing.”
To give some perspective of just how distracted you can be when texting and driving, police said 4.6 seconds of texting while driving 55 mph is like traveling the entire length of a football field with a blindfold on.
“You don’t realize how distracted you actually are and how much you’re actually missing on the roadway,” said Krumpschmidt.
maybe you can start to enforce the current no cell phone driving law? and raise the fine to 1000 dollars? that will do for a start!
Since It's the law to be a distracted driver,what about the person that has a fender bender because of his being to tired to stay alert,will they get a ticket....?
Will somebody please ticket the Subaru drivers that constantly go 10MPH under the limit? Can somebody explain that? It's always the Subaru's.  Why man, why?
@Mr. Carbon Footprint To save lives
What, 2% of the stupid offenders were cited and it is not even funny anymore. I see it every single day, but then I am a retired cop that pays attention and do not even pay attention to my cell when I am driving. Â Folks pull-up behind me and spend the whole time looking down at their cell-phone sending a text message, or their crotch waiting for something to happen...
May I strongly suggest that Marion, Polk Co.s OSP and City of Salem & Keizer police do a similar sting soon.Â
I'd strongly recommend Mission, S. Commercial, Lancaster, Lockhaven/Chemawa and Portland road as saturation points. Specifically around the time that the various High Schools get out, or afternoon rush hours.Â
Thank you officers for catching these numbskulls! I need to invest in a 4-way dash cam setup, then post the idiots on you tube or something.Â
All in all, it has been proven many times that people using cell phones or texting while driving are very distracted. A hotline or videoline might work. As long as the person using the camera was not driving at the time. Might have to get a nice small video camera and set up near an intersection.
@Just Lookin Do more than post on YouTube, write citations (Yes, you can do this)
@Just Lookin In Russia...everyone has a dashcam and they largely self-police.
its such a simple way to generate revenue. Â I wonder what the fine is.Â
More important I wonder of those who got fined, will it keep them from doing it again? Â
my gut says no.
@From the OC
811.507ÂOperating motor vehicle while using mobile communication device is a class D traffic infraction. Fines are around $90-$100 for first offense.Â
My guess is (and statistics would suggest) that 1 out of every 3 will indeed refrain from the offensive act for a period of time. The numbers say that by about 3 years, the majority are just as likely to do it again.Â
See 'em on the phone.......give 'em the horn !!!
If you see 'em talking........give 'em a honking !!!
rob,  i do that multiple times each day, i think im gonna wear out my horn button!
@Rob C 503Â I wore my horn out and had to get one of them replaced. Some guy was all over the road and I laid on the horn. Tigard PD sent three cops to my house and told me to call 911 if someone is talking on a cell and driving. When I asked them if I could that in writing they told me to "F!@# Off" and left. Tigard PD hated me for being a real cop and I hated them for for doing nothing...
@boned........used to live in Tigard. Left about 3 years ago. It has the makings of being the 'new' Northeast. And it's very sad !!
I've done it. While stopped at a stop light. It's still against the law.
@Freckled_Girl Don't...
@Freckled_Girl .......so you do it?? And you know?? How self absorbed of you !!
@Rob C 503I've done it while stopped. And only a handle full of times. At least I can admit my wrong doings but you're perfect, right??
It's fun to check for the Obama bumper sticker when someone makes an inconsiderate move in front of me, or is on their phone. Happens way too often.
last boyscout   , they get an earfull from me when i see them, can wait for summer, their windows are down and makes it easier  to hear me!
@last boyscout @I812 Here's a bumper sticker I absolutely KNOW you'll love:  http://blognonymo.us/images/maverick-copilot.jpg
@last boyscout That's funny, I check for U of O stickers :)
@last boyscout Yeah, but the only reason you see the Obama bumper sticker is because the jackass who cut you off is in an NRA-stickered F150 jacked up so high you can see straight ahead under the differential. Â
@Festivus @last boyscout You say that like it's a bad thing. Of course you do.
@last boyscout I hear the violin. The towel is coming.
They need to raise the fines, starting with at least a $1000 for first offense. Â Then a license suspension after that and jail time if that doesn't work. Â It is the only way to get the idiots off the road who are using a cell phone and trying to drive. Â Unfortunately, you can't fix stupid, which is what these people are.
I was pulled over by a Portland Police Officer, and issued a warning for using my cell phone, when I was actually trying to pluck a hair from the top of my ear!
@B.Lex I really hope you're a guy.  As I woman, I don't ever want to think of having to pluck hairs off the top of my ear.
@B.Lex ......did it have Nokia imprinted on it?
@Rob C 503 My phone was in my pocket, I have Sync in my truck
Do cross dressers put on make-up while driving?
the city's new cash cow.Â
@Phuzz Yahoo...now we can expect to see more of our potholes getting fixed! Maybe we can thank the nice folks who think it's silly that we prohibit and punish texting & driving for their non-tax related financial support!
@Phuzz ......laws should be enforced !
@Rob C 503 @Phuzz i agree, but might as well milk what you can out of them
No amount of distraction is excusable when operating a vehicle. There is only one issue that needs attention, driving the vehicle.
I moved here a month ago and thought it wasn't against the law based on how many people were talkiing texting etc. Was surprised when I asked and found it was not allowed. I could write 50 -100 tickets per day for that alone.
"Don't text and drive - or you will die!" Simple cheer the teenagers are now learning at high school.Â
They should be conducting this sting daily. First of all it would fill any holes in their budget and second, it just might change the behavior of people who just cannot seem to get it. When people get behind the wheel they need to ficus on driving, not texting, calling, eating, drinking, or whatever. They need to focus on driving, period. Thirty thousand plus people die in traffic crashes every year, year in and year out, but still some people feel like the phone is another appendage they cannot live without. The only probable way to change their behavior is to make it so financially painful that they can't afford to talk or text anymore.
@I812 Absolutely...all the $$$ they could make while performing a valuable public (safety) service!! I know it's going to sound a little bit lime I'm an extremist with this...but I'd like to see ppl loose their vehicles on the 3rd offense. I figure if the $3,000 previously collected didn't discourage them from the habit behavior because they could afford it....maybe buying a new vehicle or doing without might.
BTW...I was just recently (literally) run into the guardrails merging onto I5 heading south out of PDX by a young lady who was texting while she was merging with traffic...didn't even look up or change her speed despite my honking.
@honorbound   Yep. I was rearended by a middle aged blonde bimbo who was texting in stop and go traffic - she neglected to stop....until she hit me.
See a driver on the phone........blow your horn !!
@Rob C 503Â Blow your horn @ me, see my middle finger coming your way!
@JLO ......someone acknowledges that you are endangering the motoring public and breaking the law and that's what you do??? What are you a 12 year old?? Grow up. Be civil. You are not above laws.
@JLO @honorbound @Rob C 503 I love that -- "and don't snitch".  Don't they just kill people and set houses on fire and stuff/junk?
@JLO ....your parents can be so proud that they raised a self absorbed, selfish, self centered kid that as long "as it doesn't affect me"...... Well, to overuse the phrase........it's not all about you JLO.
There's other people on this planet.....and stuff on TV is an illusion !
@honorbound @JLO Because I really don't care what happens in this town, as long as it doesn't affect me. Which it doesn't. Sometimes what I see out of our living room window is better than the stuff on TV.
@honorbound ......couldn't have said it better !! Congrats !
@JLOÂ @honorbound Then perhaps, as a responsible 45 year old...you might want to step forward with some of your civic duties in an effort to curb some of the stuff you see in your town. If you don't have the backbone...who else will?
@honorbound Thank you for the compliment. I'm 45. Underage smoking is baby**** stuff compared to what I've seen in this town.
Btw JLO...with regards to "snitching": If you were a minor smoking a cigarette...I wouldn't blink as we're all entitled to grow-up on our own. But when your snitch-relevant activity presents a clear and imminent risk of harm to other people or property...I wouldn't hesitate for a moment to deal with you myself or "snitch" as you refer to it. You're irrelevant in the matter...the harm that you cause or risk causing is the important decision making element. I get the sense that you're young...so perhaps the world will have it's way with you and lend some wisdom as it tends to do for folks who choose your philosophical path.
@JLO @honorbound @Rob C 503 JLO...sometimes a man's honor is his only virtue. That it means little or nothing to you..is stating the obvious and we're all aware of your character flaw...
@JLO....."honor doesn't mean squat".......it's clear now. You are a big part of the problem.
@honorbound @Rob C 503 @JLO I thank God everyday that I don't live in Portland. In Longview people mind their own business and don't snitch. It keeps you alive. I don't know why your handle is Honorbound. To me "honor" doesn't mean squat.Â
@Rob C 503Â @JLO Which is EXACTLY why JLO would benefit from a $1K ticket or an arrest. I'm just wondering what other laws JLO routinely breaks...
@JLOÂ @Rob C 503 See you on your phone (flipping everyone the bird) and I'll happily arrest you.
@JLOÂ @Rob C 503Â Â See you on your cell phone, and watch me call the local police on my hands free device and turn you in.Â