The California Highway Patrol recently encountered a driver whose eyes not only weren't on the road, but may have been directed off planet entirely.
That's right, they caught a driver watching Star Trek on a cell phone while driving. Not just driving, but pulling doubles, too.
Even the police couldn't help but joke about it.
"Boldly going where no driver should go, especially a commercial driver..." CHP wrote.
"During a recent inspection, a driver who was operating a truck-tractor and pulling two trailers, was observed with a cell phone displaying a television show in front of his view," CHP continued.
Astonishingly, CHP posted pictures of the phone still in place and still showing the episode. It must have been a good one!
Dinner and a movie? Fast food and Star Trek sounds like a great time, just not if you're driving. CHP
The actor here is ready for his closeup. Was the driver?
Unfortunately, this is far from the first documented case of screen time replacing windshield time.
In 2023, Overdrive reported on a driver rolling down I-80 in Wyoming while watching a screen. Subsequent polling revealed that even then, drivers found the practice extremely widespread.
In fact, only about 30% said they cared enough to do anything about it, with 13% saying just about everyone does it.
"Operating any vehicle requires the driver's full attention at all times," CHP continued. "Distractions like watching videos puts everyone on the road in danger. Keep your eyes on the road, not on a screen. Safety isn't science fiction, it's real life."
