Local Police Departments Working To Better Enforce Safe Driving On The Roads

Distracted driving contributing to the recent increase in fatal car crashes across the state.

McMinnville Police Department’s Mark Mara said they see the most issues with speeding and with cellphone use while driving. He said believes that trend is increasing because it has become a bad habit.

“When we first had cellphones, when they first came about, people didn’t realize how distracting they are,” Mara said. “And we’ve had cellphones for quite a while, and the hands-free law, and people are still not able to just leave that cellphone alone.”

Mara said the McMinnville Police Department has already begun efforts to reduce distracted driving. That includes safety checkpoints and more officers on the road when needed.

Mara said they also have been utilizing new technology to track speeding. He said they gather vehicle information such as how many vehicles are traveling the road way, the time of day, and the speed to figure out when to best put out more patrol vehicles.

“At the end of the day we’re asking people to be safer drivers,” Mara said.