LANSING, Mich. — This month, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill that aims to reduce distracted driving in Michigan and is set to be in place June 30.
It bans drivers from watching or recording videos or engaging in social media in hopes of steering drivers to a hands-free smartphone approach behind the wheel.
If drivers are found responsible for three or more civil infractions on this new bill, a court can order the driver to complete an improvement course.
To see how people are feeling about distracted driving and this new change, I took a trip to downtown DeWitt to speak with residents. The big concern is that if laws aren't followed, the damage done can be irreversible.
"You've got a two-ton weapon that you're moving down the road 60 miles an hour or better," said a DeWitt resident. "You need to think of it from the stand point of 'what kind of damage does this thing do, if i don't follow the laws?'"
"Having them in the palms of our hands has created havoc. People have lost their lives," said another resident.
"I think its going to be hard and important for people to take responsibility for their actions," said another DeWitt resident. "You know if you've got a phone there, and you're not paying attention to the road, you're responsible for everything you caused by that."
While the use of phones in a vehicle is a big concern, others are worried about how the bill will actually be enforced.
"I agree with the bill because I do think distracted driving is an issue. I'm worried about how it will be enforced just because people use it for maps now and everything, so what does that look like with the enforcement piece," said another mid-Michigan resident.
You can read the full bill explanation here.
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