ROANOKE (WSLS 10) - Police departments are getting creative to bust people who are texting and driving.
In Maryland, an officer disguised as a homeless man stood near a busy intersection and radioed ahead to officers down the road.
In Massachusetts, an officer on his bicycle, pedals up to drivers texting at stop lights.
But police, safety advocates and drivers say it's only getting worse.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates nearly 3,500 people were killed in crashes involving distracted drivers last year up from nearly 3,200 in 2014.
Deaths in crashes involving a cellphone increased from just over 400 in 2014 to nearly 500 last year.