Police Cracking Down on Distracted Driving Along Dangerous Roadway

In the wake of four fatalities and a new state law prohibiting hand-held cellphone use while driving, Anne Arundel County police are ramping up enforcement of safe driving with Operation Eagle Progression. 

The operation's goal is to reduce serious crashes while aiming to change behaviors of drivers, according to a release. 

On Friday in west Anne Arundel County, police reported 34 traffic stops on Route 3 near Waugh Chapel. Police made two traffic arrests and issued 11 wireless device citations, 17 wireless device warnings, and 26 other citations.

"All forms of distracted driving are dangerous, but the use of handheld cellular phones, specifically texting and web surfing, causes drivers to take their eyes off the road more than any other form of distracted driving," police said in a release.

There have been four driving fatalities on Route 3 in the past three months. In August, three were killed; and earlier this month, not far from the previous fatalities, an Annapolis woman was killed and two others were injured.

Odenton-Severn Patch editor Tim Lemke contributed to this article.