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Col. Michael Rapich of the Utah Highway Patrol speaks during a news briefing on a distracted driving campaign biltz at the Lehi Police Department on Tuesday, April 8, 2025.

Curtis Booker, Daily Herald

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An undated photo shows a person who appears to be on their phone while driving.

Courtesy Utah Department of Public Safety

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Police officers from various agencies sit on their motorcycles following a news briefing outside the Lehi Public Safety building on Tuesday, April 8, 2025.

Curtis Booker, Daily Herald

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Posters and graphics in the form of text messages and phone alerts are displayed to discourage distracted driving at a news briefing at the Lehi Police Department on Tuesday, April 8, 2025.

Curtis Booker, Daily Herald

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Utah Highway Patrol state troopers line up in unison following a news briefing outside the Lehi Public Safety building on Tuesday, April 8, 2025.

Curtis Booker, Daily Herald

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Utah Highway Patrol troopers and police officers from various agencies pose for a photo following a news briefing outside the Lehi Public Safety building on Tuesday, April 8, 2025.

Curtis Booker, Daily Herald

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Utah Highway Patrol state troopers ride off in unison following a news briefing outside the Lehi Public Safety building on Tuesday, April 8, 2025.

Curtis Booker, Daily Herald

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Cpl. Luis Silva of the Utah Highway Patrol holds a device to monitor distracted drivers during a ride-along Tuesday, April 8, 2025.

Curtis Booker, Daily Herald

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Whether you’re traveling along the Interstate 15 corridor in Utah County, along a major thoroughfare or anywhere on the roads, you may want to think twice before picking up your phone or some other activity besides driving.

The Utah Department of Public Safety said law enforcement officers across Utah County are on the lookout for distracted drivers.

On Tuesday, Utah DPS held a news briefing at the Lehi Police Department, kicking off a weeklong “covert operation” where 17 different law enforcement agencies will be working close to 200 shifts across the state to catch offenders of the law.

Officers from various Utah County agencies including Lehi, Orem and Provo police departments were on for the short briefing before heading out to their patrol areas.

The effort coincides with distracted driving awareness month, observed annually each April when Utah law enforcement officers look to highlight the implications of distracted driving.

“Although April is distracted driving awareness month, this is something that needs to carry all throughout the year, especially as we are getting ready to head into our 100 deadliest days of summer,” Lt. Cameron Roden of Utah Highway Patrol said.

During the blitz campaign, running through April 14, officers will take to the roads in unmarked vans in search of drivers disregarding Utah’s distracted driving laws by operating a mobile device, personal grooming, eating, among other actions and report them to marked units nearby.

Law enforcement will then take appropriate enforcement action to “educate or cite violators.”

The Utah Department of Public Safety says the issue is a “serious problem” in Utah.

Last year, there were more than 5,100 distracted driving-related crashes on Utah roads, and close to 1,900 injuries, according to DPS data. The report also showed that of those, 23 people died.

During a ride-along with law enforcement in an unmarked vehicle, officers spotted numerous distracted drivers. Heading northbound on I-15 near Lehi, Utah Highway Patrol troopers discovered a driver who “appeared” to be on their phone. An officer nearby in a marked Lehi Police Department vehicle was notified, and that officer also spotted the suspecting offender and pulled them over.

“When you’re distracted and looking at your phone or trying to eat a meal, (or) you’re trying to do something other than actually focusing on driving down the roadway, unexpected things happen,” Col. Michael Rapich with Utah Highway Patrol said. “Vehicles move in front of you, and that’s when tragedies happen.”

The DPS data revealed that many of the distracted driving-related crashes were caused by young drivers. Ironically, recent Utah Valley University graduates conducted a student-led public safety campaign focused on distracted driving.

As part of a public relations course, Skyler Gray and Lily Callahan surveyed Utah County drivers, gathered eye-opening data and challenged their peers to put their phones down and focus on the road.

Gray said of the students surveyed, they discovered that many students are aware of their distracted driving but struggle to stop due to busy lives.

“Like balancing school, balancing work and friends and social (media), they maybe felt like a lot of it was like in the car is my time to get a few things done,” she explained.

The project also reaffirmed that distracted driving isn’t just limited to texting or someone doing their make-up in the car.

“I have a certain friend who will turn her whole body toward me and talk to me without facing the road,” Gray said. “So I see it daily still, but for me, I can remember that campaign so much because I took a whole semester to dedicate my time to it.”

Callahan said the project encouraged her to self-reflect on her own driving habits and remember the importance of keeping her focus on the road when behind the wheel.

“And I realized it’s kind of nice to have a moment when we can just completely pause life, just focus on one thing at a time,” she said.

Callahan said refraining from distracted driving is not just about personal safety but also about the safety of fellow commuters.

“You hear those terribly sad stories, and it was just a moment where they thought they were invincible,” Callahan described. “And I think we all think that, and I think we get lucky so many times, but you don’t get to choose when you get lucky or not.”

Ultimately, law enforcement officers say adhering to the law is a responsibility that falls on every person behind the wheel of a vehicle.

“Of course, we’re concerned about distracted driving and the impact it has on our roadways, so we’re happy to participate in this thing to help bring awareness and education to the citizens,” Lehi City Police Chief Darren Paul told the Daily Herald.

According to Utah statute, the following activities could be considered distracted driving:

• Texting.
• Talking on the phone (except when making a 911 emergency phone call or using a hands-free device).
• Eating.
• Reading.
• Skin care or hair grooming or taking care of personal hygiene.
• Looking around for lost items.

In some cases, penalties can result in a class B misdemeanor and up to $100 and points on a person’s driving record.