If you are out on the roads today, be aware that law enforcement is watching, and you might not even know it.
Operation Ghost Rider is underway across Michigan. Here is how it works: Unmarked vehicles with officers riding as passengers spot distracted drivers and immediately radio marked units to pull them over.
This crackdown is happening across Metro Detroit, with more than a dozen agencies taking part.
Distracted driving crashes in Michigan actually went down last year, from nearly 15,000 to about 14,000, but here is the problem: Fatalities went up 10%. 65 people died in 2024 from distracted driving crashes. Nearly 300 have died over the last five years.
Mobile device use behind the wheel is going in the wrong direction, up from 5.2% in 2024 to 5.7% in 2025. In Michigan, it is illegal to hold or manually use your phone while driving, even at a red light. First-time offenders face a $100 fine, and if you cause a crash while on your phone, that fine doubles.
Lieutenant Mike Shaw with the Michigan State Police and Lieutenant Ty Howard joined Local 4 Live to talk about the operation.
You can watch the full interview in the video at the beginning of this article.