Cops in Georgia go undercover as construction workers to catch distracted drivers

Updated Aug 8, 2015
Screen shot of the WSB-TV segment on officers dressed as construction workers to catch distracted drivers.Screen shot of the WSB-TV segment on officers dressed as construction workers to catch distracted drivers.

There might just be a badge behind the next visibility vest you see inside a road construction site.

Police in Marietta, Georgia, have gone undercover, but they aren’t infiltrating the mob or a drug operation. They’re wearing hard hats and holding stops signs in a road work zone, according to WSB-TV.

Several Marietta Police officers recently dressed as construction crew members to crack down on distracted drivers. The construction worker disguise helps cops get much closer to the vehicles and actually see what the driver is doing.

“What we’ve done here is we’re able to put officers in the roads so we’re able to get close enough almost inside their cars so we can look down and see exactly what they’re doing on their phones,” Marietta officer Nick Serkedakis said. “… It doesn’t matter if you’re stopped at a light, if you’re on a public thoroughfare and facing the phone we’re going to have a conversation with you.”

The officers noticed that a few drivers didn’t have a proper understanding of the law banning texting while driving. Many didn’t realize they could still be ticketed for looking at their phone while stopped at a traffic light.

However, Serkedakis said the $150 ticket is a necessity to help save lives.

“I really think this is the DUI of the future. Impairment is still a problem, but this distracted driving is killing as many people as drunk drivers,” he said.