Cell phone at the wheel? Police are stepping up checks.

Under the motto "Focus on the Road" the police directorates in Lower Saxony are this week intensifying their focus on inattentive road users. This is intended to reduce the risk of accidents.

"The aim of the measures is to sensitize road users to the dangers of distraction in road traffic and thereby reduce the risk of accidents," a police spokesman said. In addition, the "awareness of attentive and responsible driving" should be strengthened. According to the information, controls will continue until Sunday at several locations in the Hanover city area and in the region.

Trucks and wheels are also checked

Not only cars, but also trucks and bicycles are on the test bench. In addition to using smartphones, the police also check, among other things, improperly secured cargo or the wearing of headphones. Drinking, eating, or smoking while driving can, according to the police, lead to inattention and is therefore also in the focus of the officers.

In the area of the Osnabrück Police Directorate this week, one is also particularly vigilant – from the Teutoburg Forest to the East Frisian Islands, road users are being subject to increased checks. In comparable actions, the violation rate, according to the Osnabrück police, was recently around 45 percent. Thus nearly every second person violated the road traffic regulations.