PODCAST:
April 28, 2026 ~ Michigan State Police Lt. Mike Shaw and Lt. Ty Howard discuss Operation Ghost Rider.
DETROIT, MICH. ~ In an effort to cut down on distracted driving, the Michigan State Police and other law enforcement agencies across Metro Detroit are joining Operation Ghost Rider, a plan to use unmarked officers to recognize violations and report them to marked vehicles who will then conduct a traffic stop.
The National Transportation Safety Organization is spearheading this operation, as the number of fatalities from crashes involving distracted vehicle operators continue to surge. Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne County Lt. Mike Shaw will be giving up his role in May to Lt. Ty Howard, who will be further enforcing this effort.
“It’s just another way that we can see things that the average officer can’t see just because we’ve all been in our personal vehicles, and we looked over at the driver next to us and seen them texting or watching videos or being distracted, I should say, on their phones or from other things inside of their vehicles,” Howard said. “And this is the way we can see it from all angles.”
