Home » Home » Melbourne Police ‘Operation Attention-Getter’:165 Tickets, 40 Warnings, 40 Percent of Drivers Distracted

Melbourne Police ‘Operation Attention-Getter’:165 Tickets, 40 Warnings, 40 Percent of Drivers Distracted

By  //  April 7, 2018

three-day education and enforcement campaign

The Melbourne Police Department has concluded a three-day education and enforcement campaign along the busiest roadways in the city in an effort to combat an epidemic of distracted driving-caused accidents in the City of Melbourne.

BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – The Melbourne Police Department has concluded a three-day education and enforcement campaign along the busiest roadways in the city in an effort to combat an epidemic of distracted driving-caused accidents in the City of Melbourne. 

Between April 3 and April 5 officers set up strict, intensive traffic enforcement zones at specific intersections that had seen the highest percentage of traffic accidents since the beginning of the year.

  • During the operation, officers issued 165 tickets and 40 written warnings.
  • One driver was ticketed for going 87 mph in a 45 mph zone.
  • Approximately 40% of all drivers they observed were driving while texting, eating or otherwise distracted.

The goal of Operation Attention Getter was to get drivers’ attention and to help them to realize how dangerous it is to be distracted or careless behind the wheel.

The Melbourne Police Department responded to more than 800 accidents in the City of Melbourne during the first three months of 2018. Of these more than 200 were caused by rear-end collisions and more than 70 by side-swipes — Two types of accidents that are easily preventable and are usually caused by distracted driving.

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MPD offers the following tips for avoiding a rear-end collision:

  • Increase the distance between the vehicle you are driving and the vehicle in front of you. Use the 4-second rule to give yourself a better chance of stopping in time to prevent a collision.
  • How to determine the 4-second rule: Pick out an item on the side of the road, whether it’s a tree or lamp post. When you see the car in front of you go past that tree or post, count off how long it takes you to reach that same marker. Anything less than 4 seconds when traveling at speed could mean that you are following too close to the vehicle in front of you.
  • Scan ahead of you as far as possible to detect potential hazards and give yourself time to react.

The MPD will continue to monitor traffic accident data and will launch future operations when and where needed to help prevent accidents and improve safety for the entire community.

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