West Bloomfield Enforcing New Teen Cell Phone Law

A new Michigan law, known as "Kelsey's Law" which prohibits teen drivers from using a cell phone while driving a car, went into effect Thursday, and the West Bloomfield Police Department plans to enforce it.

Under the bill signed into law earlier this year, any driver with a temporary drivers permit or a level 1 or 2 graduated license - meaning any driver under the age of 17 - can face a civil infraction for using a cell phone if stopped for a moving violation.

Because the violation is a civil infraction, local municipalities will determine the fine.

"We don't have a formal plan of action for it, but the law's in effect and we'll be enforcing it just like any other traffic violation," Lt. Tim Diamond said.

The legislation was named for Kelsey Dawn Raffaele, a 17-year-old Sault Ste. Marie girl who died in a car crash in 2010 while she was using her cell phone.

Readers of the West Bloomfield Patch Facebook page were asked about their thoughts of the new law. Here are some of the responses:

• Heather Arnold Cykiert: about time
• Nancy Perkins: Great idea. The outcome could be a lot worse than getting a ticket. I met the mother of a teenager in a hospital waiting room that had been in a single-car accident while using her phone . . . The mother figured their hospital bill would be about $750,000. Teenagers using their phones while driving can be deadly and costly.

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