9 Arrested In 'High Intensity' Crackdown On Distracted Driving

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Five Maryland jurisdictions stepped up their distracted driving enforcement Monday. The effort, dubbed "Operation Border to Border," included the police departments from Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Calvert County, Howard County and Prince George's County.

The team made 77 traffic stops over a four-hour period. Those stops led to 67 warnings and 39 tickets. Officers said the offenses included:

• Cell phone usage
• Speeding
• Failure to obey traffic control devices
• Failure to wear seat belts
• Move over law violations
• Driver’s license restriction violations

Police added that they arrested nine people. An incident report noted that the charges ranged from driving on a suspended license to driving without a license to driving an uninsured vehicle.

Officers also stopped two commercial vehicles for cell phone violations. An inspector checked one of those vehicles and found that it had "inferior" brakes, the report said. The inspector placed that vehicle out of service.

Police monitored the following borders between jurisdictions:

• Fort Smallwood Road (Anne Arundel County/Baltimore City)
• Route 198 (Prince George’s County/Anne Arundel County)
• Route 175 (Howard County/Anne Arundel County)
• Route 4 (Calvert County/Prince George’s County)
• Route 3 (Anne Arundel County/Prince Georges County)
• Ritchie Highway (Baltimore City/Anne Arundel County)

The Anne Arundel County Police Department said an increase in serious and fatal crashes prompted the "high intensity" operation.

Police ask anyone who sees reckless driving to call 911 or the non-emergency number of 410-222-8610.

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