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ByDeniseLavoie The Associated Press WEST BRIDGEWATER, MASS. State troopers in Chat- tanooga, Tennessee, have been known to patrol in a tractor-trailer so they can sit up high and spot drivers texting behind the wheel. In Bethesda, Maryland, a police officer disguised himself as a homeless man, stood near a busy inter- section and radioed ahead to officers down the road about texting drivers. In two hours last October, po- lice gave out 56 tickets. And in West Bridgewa- ter, Massachusetts, south of Boston, an officer regularly tools around town on his bicycle, pedals up to driv- ers at stoplights and hands them $105 tickets. Texting while driving in the U.S. is not just a dan- gerous habit, but also an in- furiatingly widespread one, practiced both brazenly and surreptitiously by so many motorists that police are be- ing forced to get creative — and still can't seem to make much headway. "It's everyone, kids, older people — everyone. When I stop someone, they say, 'You're right. I know it's dangerous, but I heard my phone go off and I had to look at it,'" said West Bridgewater Officer Mat- thew Monteiro. The National Highway Traffic Safety Adminis- tration estimates nearly 3,500 people were killed in crashes involving dis- tracted drivers in the main- land U.S. and Puerto Rico in 2015, up from almost 3,200 in 2014. The num- ber of deaths in which cell- phones were the distrac- tion rose from 406 in 2014 to 476 in 2015. But many safety advo- cates say crashes involving cellphones are vastly under- reported because police are forced to rely on what they are told by drivers, many of whom aren't going to ad- mit they were using their phones. "You don't have a Breath- alyzer or a blood test to see if they are using their phones," said Deborah Hersman, president and chief executive of the Na- tional Safety Council and former chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board. "Certainly, law enforcement can ask people, 'Can I see your phone?' but people can re- fuse, so they then have to get a search warrant." Forty-six states have laws against texting while driv- ing that typically also ban sending or reading email, using apps or engaging in other internet activity. Fourteen states bar drivers from using hand-held cell- phones for any activity, in- cluding talking. While efforts to discour- age texting have increased in recent years, the consen- sus among police, safety ad- vocates and drivers is that the problem is only getting worse. In New York, texting tick- ets soared from about 9,000 in 2011 to nearly 85,000 in 2015. In Massachusetts, they rocketed from about 1,100 to a little over 6,100 over the same period. In California, the number of people found guilty of tex- ting while driving climbed from under 3,000 in 2009 to over 31,000 in 2015. Everywhere they look, police see drivers staring at their phones. "We did see one driver who had two phones going at one time — one in his left hand and one in his right hand, with his wrist on the steering wheel," said Lt. Paul Watts, a Virginia state trooper. West Bridgewater Police Chief Victor Flaherty said: "We've seen cars in trees. We've had two houses hit within three weeks. We had a car off the road 100 yards before it hit a parking lot." Enforcement is difficult, in part because it's hard to prove texting violations in states that allow drivers to talk on hand-held cell- phones. "For the normal officer, in a car, it's very difficult to tell if someone is texting or just using their phone in an- other way," Flaherty said. In Florida, texting is a secondary offense, mean- ing that even if police spot drivers texting, they can't be stopped unless the offi- cer sees another violation, such as speeding. Police gave out just 1,359 citations for texting in 2015. Drivers have also become sneakier. Instead of resting their phones against the steering wheel, they hold them down low to make it more difficult for police to see what's going on. "Some people call it the red-light prayer because their heads are bowed and they are looking down at their laps with a nice blue glow coming up in their face," said Chris Cochran, a spokesman for the Califor- nia Office of Traffic Safety. In New York, some law- makers proposed equipping police with a device called the Textalyzer. An officer investigating a crash could use it to check the driver's phone for any activity be- fore the wreck. The idea ran into legal objections and has not been put to a vote. Fines for first offenses range from $20 to $500. In some states, such as New York, drivers caught texting also get points on their driv- ing record, which can lead to higher insurance rates. LAW ENFORCEMENT Police losing battle to get drivers to put down phones STEVENSENNE—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS Police officer Matthew Monteiro speaks to a motorist about texting while driving while patrolling on his bicycle in West Bridgewater, Mass. LYNNE SLADKY — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Raisa Rickie waits in line to apply for a job with Aldi at a job fair in Miami Lakes, Fla. By Christopher S. Rugaber The Associated Press WASHINGTON U.S. em- ployers slowed their hiring in August after two block- buster months and barely raised their workers' pay, a pullback that may lead the Federal Reserve to leave interest rates alone until late this year. But several surveys sug- gest that Americans are growing more optimis- tic about the job market, a trend that could boost spending and energize the economy in coming months. Employers added 151,000 jobs in August, a modest gain after an in- crease of 275,000 in July, the most in eight months, and 271,000 in June. The unemployment rate re- mained at 4.9 percent for a third straight month, the Labor Department re- ported Friday. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen and other Fed officials highlighted the economy's improve- ment at a conference last month. Vice Chair Stan- ley Fischer suggested that the job market was close to full health, an assess- ment that typically might prompt a rate hike. Yet the August job fig- ures may lead the Fed to hold off at its next meet- ing, Sept. 20-21, and await further economic data. In- vestors foresee only a 21 percent chance of a rate increase this month, ac- cording to futures mar- kets, down from 24 per- cent on Thursday. The Fed held its bench- mark short-term rate at a record low near zero for seven years to support the economyafterthefinancial crisis erupted in 2008. Its policymakers raised their key rate modestly in De- cember but have stood pat since. Lower rates can en- courage more borrowing and spending and thereby stimulate the economy. Stock investors seemed pleased that Friday's mod- est jobs data might have lessened the likelihood of a September Fed rate in- crease. Higher borrowing rates tend to weigh down stock prices. The Dow Jones industrial average closed up about 73 points. If a relatively tepid pace of hiring keeps the Fed on the sidelines, the contin- uation of ultra-low rates could sustain growth, some analysts suggested. "This is a healthy thing if the (job) gains slow down a little bit, because that reduces the risk that the Fed will quickly raise rates and choke off the ex- pansion," said Josh Wright, chief economist at iCIMS, a recruitment software company and former Fed staffer. US h ir in g sl ow ed i n August, yet Americans' outlook brightens PULLBACK Sendyour"HiddenGem"entryviaemailtoeditor@redbluffdailynews.comorbymail c/o Hidden Gems, P.O Box 220, Red Bluff CA 96080 Your recommended must-see or must-do does not have to be in Tehama County, just within a 2-hour drive of Downtown Red Bluff. Tehama the Magazine's mission is to develop "pride in place" among of local residents, 2nd good reading for Tehama County visitors -- and potential visitors. It's the only regional magazine with guaranteed home delivery to 5,000 local homes as a supplement to The Daily News, plus 3000 copies for local distribution through September of 2017 in restaurants, Chambers of Commerce, hotels and visitor information centers, and publication as a special digital edition on www.redbluffdailynews for a full year, Tehama County's most visited local website with over 125,000 unique visitors monthly! Roger Brooks, from the Branding Project, recommended the marketing of Red Bluff as an ideal visitor's "Base Camp." You can be a part of this project! What's your favorite "hidden gem" that a visitor might not see driving on Main Street, I-5, Hwy 36 or 99E? • Museum? • Winery? • Fishing hole? • Park? • Mountain trail less traveled? October's Tehama the Magazine will again be an AdventureGuide for local residents and visitors! We'll highlight more places to visit, things to do and see allwithinabout2hoursofRedBluff. We'll award $50 Visa Gift Cards to the new TEN best "hidden gem" recommendations from the public, written in 50 words or less, and received by SEPT. 16, 2016.* * Suggestions for "hidden gems" that were featured in the Fall 2015 edition of Tehama the Magazine are not eligible to win. Check out last year's edition at http://tinyurl.com/gv8wsyn or pick up a copy at The Daily News, 728 Main Street, Red Bluff or at the Tehama Country Visitors Center. We're asking again! What's your favorite "hidden gem" in the great North State? | NEWS | REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2016 6 B