A little less than one year ago, Michigan’s hands-free law went into effect, making it illegal to hold or use a cellphone while driving. However, some officials in charge of making our roads safer say the law isn’t working as well as they’d like.
Transportation Improvement Association CEO Jim Santilli says many people were killed in crashes last year.
“Last year in the state of Michigan, preliminary numbers indicate there were 1,054 persons killed and more than 70,000 people injured due to traffic crashes,” Santilli said. “We need to remember those are not just numbers, those are real people whose lives were lost. So 1,054 families, instead of having their loved one return home, had a law enforcement officer come to their door and tell them they’re not going to see their loved one again. And that’s totally unacceptable.”
The Transportation Improvement Association says they will be talking with lawmakers in hopes of increasing penalties for distracted driving offenses.
