Driving While Holding Your Phone Could Become Illegal in Michigan
Distracted driving is a huge problem in Michigan right now. I'm so sick and tired of seeing people swerving all over the road because they can't drive 10 minutes without checking their texts, email, social media pages, porn or whatever. Seriously, it's a problem.
Driving while holding your phone is still legal in Michigan but that could change soon as a group of lawmakers want to put an end to it. Three bills that were introduced would ban using a cell phone unless it is hands-free with the exceptions of emergencies.
Democratic State Representative Mari Manoogian:
Making sure that folks are putting their phones down, they are not scrolling through social, they are not on YouTube they are not on Netflix, and that those devices are hands-free, so you can place a call while it is a hands-free device either using something in the vehicle itself or using something that is an additional augmented component.
According to WXYZ, Manoogian has teamed up with representatives Mike Mueller and Joseph Bellino, two Republican state representatives, to draft and introduce the legislation.
If this law passes and you get caught, you could get hit with some unwanted fines.
A penalty for a first-time violation when there isn’t an accident or anything like that is a civil penalty of $100 or 16 hours of community service. For the second time you are caught it is potentially a point on your license or a $250 fine and 24 hours of community service.
While I never text and drive, I am guilty of holding and talking on my phone. I rarely use the hands-free option, it's just an old habit that's hard to break. I would have no problem if the law went into effect though as I feel it's long overdue.