Distracted driving is in the spotlight in the wake of Anchorage Chief of Police Mark Mew's recent iPhone-induced fender bender.

Anchorage's city manager reprimanded Mew for the incident, during which Mew admitted checking his iPhone while stopped at a red light.

Mew says he was silencing a calendar alarm when he bumped the car in front of him earlier this month. 

"What I saw change out of the corner of my eye was not the green light for me, it was the turn light coming on for a different lane of traffic," Mew said.  

Mew was not ticketed, but says he should have known better. 

"I shouldn't have been fiddling with it," said Mew. 

In Alaska, there is a law that makes it illegal to use cell phones in certain situations, like texting and checking emails while driving.   

"We want to be sure that people are watching the road rather than watching a machine," Alaska Rep. Max Gruenberg (D-Anchorage) said.  

But both law enforcement officers and Gruenberg say it can be tough to enforce.

"It's difficult to have a one size fits all law," Gruenberg said.  "People should just be careful when they drive."

The Alaska Injury Prevention Center says a new study revealed one in four Alaskans admit to using their cell phone while driving, and even though in many cases it may be legal, Executive Director Marcia Howell says it can be dangerous.

"It is a life and death thing," Howell said.  "Making a choice to put it away is the best choice."

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