TAYLOR, Mich. (WXYZ) — It has been nearly three years since driving with a phone in hand became illegal in Michigan, and law enforcement agencies are hard at work making sure drivers are aware.
Monday kickstarts Distracted Driving Month. It's a nationwide effort, but in Michigan, enforcement on I-94 is part of a broader campaign targeting distracted drivers that expands enforcement into Indiana and Ontario, Canada.
Watch Brett Kast's video report below:
I rode along with the Taylor Police Department as they, along with departments across the state, cracked down on distracted driving to show just how costly using a phone behind the wheel can be.
"In Michigan, it is a hands-free state, so you cannot touch your phone while you're driving at all," Taylor Police Officer Robert Sullins said.
Michigan's hands-free driving law passed in 2023. On our drive, we saw county, state and local police. Even Sullins' Waze app alerted him of the police presence.
Sullins eventually took us on the road as he kept his eye out for drivers on their phones.
"The best way I can spot someone on their phone is if we're driving side by side to them," Sullins said.
It did not take long to find one and make a traffic stop. After pulling the driver over, Sullins explained the interaction.
"He said he grabbed it (phone) out of his pocket to move it to the passenger seat, but you cannot have your phone in your hand. When I looked at him, he had his phone like this," Sullins said showing the phone near the steering wheel. "He was a little upset about getting the ticket and everything, but at the end of the day, I think he understands we're out here keeping people safe."
While each department is different, the cost of a distracted driving ticket in Taylor is $225 for a first offense.
Just a few months ago, a Taylor police officer on I-94 was rear-ended by a distracted driver on their phone.
"He was on a traffic stop on this freeway right here and someone on their phone rear-ended him, just drove straight into the back end of his police car,” Sullins said. "She admitted to being on her phone, admitted that was the reason why she just didn't see him and crashed right into the back end of him.”
Steve Kiefer is the founder and chairman of the Kiefer Foundation. The organization is named after his son, Mitchell. In 2016, while a student at Michigan State University, Mitchell was driving back to campus when he was hit and killed by a driver on their cellphone.
The organization travels to schools and helped pass the 2023 hands-free driving laws in Mitchel's memory. While Michigan traffic fatalities went up slightly in 2024, crashes went down nearly 5%.
Watch our 2023 coverage when the bills were discussed in Lansing below:
"The data is pretty clear that the laws have been effective and crashes and fatalities are starting to come down," Kiefer said. "Getting these laws passed around the country and knowing that we're saving lives in his (Mitchel's) honor is really the best way we can keep his memory alive."
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