It is now illegal in Michigan to hold a phone or other electronic device while driving.
The penalties for violating the law include fines and, for three or more offenses, an order to complete a driver’s safety course. Using an electronic device while driving is now a primary offense, which means an officer can pull you over if they see you using your phone. And that includes when you are stopped at a traffic light.
Keith Flores is the Washtenaw County Sheriff Officer’s Commander of Police Services. He says driver inattention is one of the leading factors in most crashes.
<i>“We see a lot of people around us using their phones. If they’re sitting at lights or sitting in traffic and we’re sitting in traffic with them waiting for a light to change, it happens quite a bit. This law takes all of that away. So, you’re not allowed to do any of that.”</i>
Prior to this law, texting while driving was against the law, but it was a secondary offense. Plus, it was difficult to judge if a driver was texting or doing other things on their phone. Commander Flores says, now, the law is much more cut and dry.
<i>“For us now, any time we see anybody with a phone in their hand, it does make it easier for us to make that traffic stop and enforce or educate.”</i>
Michigan is the 26th state to have a distracted driving law that bans holding devices. Drivers are only allowed to use phones in hands-free mode, with exceptions for emergency calls.
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