MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. – Starting Monday, police will be stepping up their enforcement of Michigan’s new hands-free driving law in Macomb and Oakland counties.
The new law prohibiting drivers from holding or using their cellphone or any device while operating a vehicle has been in effect in Michigan for months, but distracted driving is still a common issue. In fact, distracted driving is one of the leading causes of car crashes -- something Sterling Heights police Officer Andre Basin told Local 4 he sees regularly.
As of June 30, people driving in Michigan are no longer allowed to hold or use a cellphone for any reason, whether it’s to make a call, send a text, scroll social media, etc., while behind the wheel. Device use is not even allowed at a red light -- only when the vehicle is legally parked can a driver legally access a device. Drivers are instead encouraged to utilize hands-free options if needed to access a phone call, GPS, or the like.
If a police officer sees a driver using their cellphone or other unauthorized device, the driver may get pulled over and issued a fine. Punishment for a first offense would equal a $100 fine or 16 hours of community service, or both. A second offense would warrant a $250 fine or 24 hours of community service, or both.
---> Michigan’s new hands-free driving law: Reasons you can be pulled over, exceptions, punishments
Law enforcement officers in Macomb and Oakland counties will be keeping an extra close eye on drivers this week as they crack down on distracted driving. Here’s where police will be focusing their enforcement this week:
- Monday, Oct. 23: Focus on M-59.
- Tuesday, Oct. 24: Big Beaver Road/Metro Parkway.
- Wednesday, Oct. 25: Focus on I-75.
It is illegal to text and drive anywhere in Michigan, so it’s possible drivers could be pulled over and ticketed anywhere in the state apart from these specific locations.
Officer Basin told Local 4′s Kim DeGiulio that the tickets for this offense are nothing compared to the potentially fatal crashes that distracted driving can, and often do, lead to.
Officer Basin: “I have to go do the death notification to the family, and so, when I do that, they obviously have a lot of questions.”
Kim DeGiulio: “What’s the response from the family when they’ve learned that it was somebody sending a text message that killed their loved one?”
Officer Basin: “I typically see on their faces frustration, anger, and then grief, because it’s just something that could’ve waited.”
Watch Kim DeGiulio’s full report in the video up above.