KENT COUNTY, Mich. — The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning will conduct a statewide enforcement campaign to stop distracted driving during April. Additional patrols, including those from the Kent County Sheriff's Office, will be on the lookout for drivers who are not focused on the road.
The crackdown comes after a new law signed by Governor Whitmer in 2023 prohibits the manual use of phones and other electronic devices while operating a motor vehicle in the state.
Under the law, drivers cannot make or answer phone or video calls; send or read texts or emails; watch, record, send videos; use social media; or enter GPS destinations.
"For that half second, up to seconds that you're not paying attention to the roadway your vehicle is traveling, depending on your speed, up to hundreds of feet per second, and every second that you're not looking, you're taking away from that time to be able to respond to and effectively react to different hazards that you might see in the roadway," said Deputy Ryan Ykimoff of the Kent County Sheriff's Office.
Drivers caught violating the law face a $100 fine, up to 16 hours of community service, and one point on their license.
In 2023, Kent County ranked 4th highest in the state for crashes caused by distracted driving, with 1,339 incidents.
KCSO is urging all drivers to keep their eyes on the road and avoid distractions in order to make it home safely.
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