KALAMAZOO, MI -- Police have noticed an increase of distracted driving including drivers who hold their phones low and try to go undetected to officers watching for the dangerous behavior, Michigan State Police First Lt. Dale Hinz said.

Now and throughout the summer, troopers are responding by using unmarked vehicles to spot distracted drivers and sending a patrol car to pull them over, said Hinz, of the Paw Paw Post.

It's something the Southwest Michigan post has done for the past four years, Hinz said, and part of a statewide push and public awareness campaign targeting distracted drivers.

Two officers ride in an unmarked vehicle, one concentrating on driving and the other as a spotter looking for distracted drivers. Troopers in the unmarked car then radio to another in a marked car to pull the vehicle over.

Troopers have seen people putting on makeup, texting on their phones, and putting cream cheese on a bagel, according to reports from around the state.

Through public information and outreach, police are working to appeal to drivers' better judgement to not text and drive or drive distracted, Hinz said.

The enforcement is to make sure drivers are following the laws, he said.

Hinz called distracted driving "a huge issue."

He talked about Trooper Rick Johnson of the Paw Paw Post, who was walking back to his patrol car in May of 2000 during a traffic stop on Interstate 94 when a distracted driver struck the rear of his patrol car, pinning Johnson between the two vehicles and trapping him under his patrol car as it spun into the travel lanes. He later died at a hospital.

Distracted driving is not a new issue, but it's become more prevalent because more people have cell phones, Hinz said, and some motorists can't seem to leave them alone.

"When texting and driving, no one thinks it's going to be them involved with the crash," he said.

He said phones can be "almost an addiction," and people feel the need to respond when an alert goes off. But a lot can happen in a few seconds, especially on congested roads.

"Those seconds can end up with fatal results," he said.

Hinz said police are doing the distracted driving enforcement to keep motorists safe.

"If what were doing seems to be sneaky or underhanded, it's not meant to be," he said. "Our biggest concern is driver safety. We're not trying to trick anyone."

He said phone apps are available to disable features of a cell phone when it is in a moving vehicle and recommends them for people who can't self regulate against improper phone use while driving.

Troopers in Southeast Michigan have dubbed similar unmarked vehicle enforcement "Operation Ghostrider."

Working Operation Ghost Rider on M59. We are looking for distracted drivers. Worst violator so far? Spreading cream cheese on a bagel! pic.twitter.com/zhpCNM2A3D — MSP Metro Detroit (@mspmetrodet) April 27, 2017

There were 7,516 crashes in Michigan during 2015 involving distracted driving, resulting in 28 fatalities and 3,472 injuries, according to the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center. Cell phones were involved in 753 crashes, with three fatalities and 377 injuries.