NORTHVILLE TOWNSHIP, Mich. – The Northville Township Police Department is increasing enforcement of Michigan’s new hands-free driving law after officers say they noticed “consistent violations” in July, when the law took effect.
Officials say the increased enforcement is expected throughout August to raise awareness of the law that makes it illegal to use a hand-held electronic device to text, make phone calls, watch videos, go on social media, and more while driving.
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“The new laws have been in effect for nearly a month giving drivers ample time to familiarize themselves with the restrictions and penalties,” Northville Police Chief Scott Hilden said. “As a result, we will be taking a serious approach to enforcing the new laws to remind drivers to remain alert and focused when they are behind the wheel.”
Any form of “visual-manual” phone interaction while driving nearly doubles a driver’s overall crash risk and triples the chance of a “road departure” crash, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic and Safety. AAA reports rear-end collisions are also seven times more likely when a driver is using their phone.
The penalty for the first violation is a $100 fine or 16 hours of community service or both. Penalties for repeated distracted driving includes fines up to $250, up to 24 hours of community service, points on a person’s driving record and driving improvement classes. Fines will be doubled for those at-fault in a crash if the driver was using a device.
To read more about Michigan’s hands-free driving law, click here.