Ride along with Bloomfield Township police as they enforce no-left-turn restrictions

Bloomfield Township police are stepping up enforcement after they say drivers continue to ignore no-left-turn signs intended to reduce traffic cutting through residential neighborhoods during rush hour.

Police say officers wrote about 180 tickets last week alone to drivers making prohibited turns onto Rambling Way, Courville Drive and Aspen Lane.

Watch Jolie Sherman's report in the video player below:

The restrictions, which went into effect over the summer, prohibit left turns during the morning and evening rush hours.

Police say the goal is to reduce congestion and keep a steady stream of vehicles from cutting through neighborhoods where residents are walking, children are getting on school buses and some streets do not have sidewalks.

7 News Detroit rode along with Bloomfield Township police Thursday morning to get a closer look at the enforcement.

It didn't take long to see the problem firsthand.

Within about five minutes, Traffic Division Sgt. Nathan Eller pulled over a driver for making a prohibited left turn. It was the first of several traffic stops that morning.

The citation comes with a $125 fine and two points on a driver's record.

"We have three main roads feeding one road," Eller said, explaining that traffic can back up past Wilshire.

Residents say the congestion has made getting around their own neighborhood difficult.

"I've had at least 12 behind me while walking the dog," resident Rick Ross said. "Most of them are looking at the phone."

Another resident, Julie Ruecke, said she has waited as long as five minutes just to pull out of her driveway.

Police say navigation systems appear to be contributing to the problem.

"Every vehicle that we stop, their GPS is on their phone, showing them to turn down here or on their dashboard," Eller said.

One driver stopped Thursday told 7 News Detroit he had been following his GPS while his Tesla was in self-driving mode.

"It got me into trouble, right?" Sudhakar Raghu said.

Police are reminding drivers that GPS directions do not override posted traffic signs. Eller said officers are taking a zero-tolerance approach to the restrictions.

"Every driver is going to get a citation," he said.

Police say about 180 tickets were issued last week. Eller said another 32 citations were issued Monday during the morning and evening rush hours.

While 7 News Detroit rode along Thursday morning, Eller and two other patrol officers issued a total of 16 tickets.

Eller said officers have seen some improvement since enforcement began, but drivers are still violating the restrictions.

"The traffic volume wasn't as high as week one, but still a problem," he said.

Ultimately, Eller said the department's goal isn't simply to write tickets, but to get drivers to follow the restrictions.

"Our number one goal and the reason we're here is to just gain compliance from motorists," Eller said. "Make drivers aware and keep them out of this subdivision."