- April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
- Michigan State Police is putting more troopers on the road to ensure safety and crack down on distracted drivers.
- Video explains what distracting driving could look like.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
"There's a lot of distractions going on and it's gotten a lot worse for our drivers," said Lt. Rene Gonzalez with Michigan State Police.
Lt. Rene Gonzalez with the Michigan State Police Department says distracted driving can look like a lot of things.
"Talking on your cell phone, eating, putting on makeup, reading, checking on the kids," Lt. Gonzalez said.
These things might seem harmless to some, but they can be dangerous.
"You could be ok. But, what if you hit somebody? What if you hit a kid on a bike," Lt. Gonzalez said.
Lt. Gonzalez says in 2022 there were over 15,000 crashes in the state that were attributed to distracting driving.
"Out of those we had 5,000 injuries and 57 deaths were attributed to that. And it was all because of distracted driving," Lt. Gonzalez said.
April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month and MSP is cracking down and doing their part to make sure people are paying more attention while on the road.
"We are putting extra patrols out there, extra troopers out there actually targeting distracted driving," Lt. Gonzalez said.
One important thing you must know, you can not have your phone in your hand while driving in Michigan.
"The Hands-Free Law that went into effect June of 2023 makes it illegal to hold your phone at all. So we are going to be targeting those people. Even if they are not distracted they have that phone in their hand they could be stopped and cited," Lt. Gonzalez said.
"That goes in stages. You have a first, second, and third offense with fines that keep increasing and you're going to have to take driving school," Lt. Gonzalez said.
A careless driving ticket and improper lane use can be consequences for distracted driving.
But to avoid all of this and keep everyone safe Lt. Gonzalez says just focus on the road.
"Drive the posted speed limit, wear your seatbelt, and pay attention to what you're out there doing. That's going to help bring down those traffic crashes and those fatalities," Lt. Gonzalez said.
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