Whitmer signs bills banning cell phone distracted driving on Michigan roads

Drivers will soon face fines for using mobile devices to make phone calls and post to social media on Michigan's roads under legislation approved by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday.

Those who lost loved ones in accidents involving a distracted driver called on Michigan state lawmakers to establish the new penalties against phone use in the car, which are slated to take effect June 30.

"This legislation is designed at saving lives, and that’s incredibly important,” said bill sponsor Rep. Matt Koleszar, D-Plymouth, during an April committee hearing on the legislation.

House Bills 4250, 4251 and 4252 amend the Michigan Vehicle Code to prohibit using a non-hands-free device while driving, with a few exceptions for making calls to emergency services or reporting a crime taking place.

It strengthens Michigan's current ban on texting and driving to encompass essentially all phone usage while behind the wheel. Advocates for the new law say it brings the state up to speed with the pace of modern technology.

The new law makes Michigan the 26th so-called "hands-free state" in the U.S. In 2021, the last year with available annual data, there were 2,765 vehicle crashes where cellphone use was a factor, according to the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning. Twenty-one of those crashes were fatal.

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Penalties for violating the new distracted driving law would start off with a $100 civil fine for first-time offenders and/or 16 hours of community service, followed by $250 fines for each subsequent violation, and/or 24 hours of community service.

Fines would be doubled if the penalty occurs during a car crash. Fines are also greater for school bus and commercial vehicle drivers, checking in at $200 for the first offense and $500 for every subsequent offense, and again twice as much if they occur in a car crash.

House Bill 4151, introduced by state Rep. Tyrone Carter, D-Detroit, requires someone who commits three violations of the new law in a three-year span to take a basic driving instruction course.

House Bill 4252, introduced by state Rep. Mike Mueller, R-Linden, requires the Michigan State Police to prepare a report on the new law 42 months after it becomes effective. The report would track racial and demographic data on traffic stops for distracted driving, as well as monitor how many crashes, serious injuries and deaths are caused by violations.

Initially, the bills did not have sufficient votes to pass the House, but the bills were amended to soften penalties for repeatedly violating the distracted driving law, and later passed with bipartisan support.

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Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. Follow her on Twitter @clarajanehen.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Laws banning cell phone distracted driving in Michigan signed