Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Most local legislators supported the law, signed Tuesday by Gov. Rick Snyder.
A new Michigan law prohibits teen drivers from using a cell phone while driving a car. According to MichiganVotes.org, Senate Bill 756 applies to any driver with a temporary drivers permit or a level 1 or 2 graduated license—meaning any driver under the age of 17. The law, building on current texting and driving laws, makes it a civil infraction for a teen to use a hands-on cell phone. Dubbed "Kelsey's Law," the legislation is named for a 17-year-old Sault Ste. Marie girl who died in a car crash in 2010 while she was using her cell phone. Snyder signed the bill into law Tuesday, according to the Detroit News. The law passed 74-33 in the House of Representatives and 28-10 in the Senate. State Reps. Gail Haines (R-43rd District) and Chuck …
Monday, October 8, 2012
We asked readers to tell us why they won't text and drive, and here's what they said.
Patch.com in Michigan partnered with AT&T to raise awareness about distracted driving. As part of our series, we are rewarding readers who commit to not text and drive with a contest. Here are the winners, and why they won't text and drive: Denise Roberts of Milford: I will never text and drive. My son and I watch too many drivers distracted by their phones. Talking and texting in school zones also should be illegal. I see too many parents picking up their children from school that are distracted with cell phone use. This puts our children and others at risk just walking to school. Deborah Lines of Troy: I pledge to never text and drive because I value my life and those of my children and their friends who often ride in my car. By setting …
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
We never know what we are teaching our kids until they show us, so I decided to not show them how to text and drive.
Having a teenage driver is a sign of the ultimate trust and fervent hope that all the lessons we consciously tried to teach our children growing up were received. Be safe, be smart and be responsible. Watching your child drive away for the first time is a mixture of relief for one less carpool, but also, for me at least, fighting off a wave of nostalgia as you remember where you two began. Now, it’s a common occurrence for my teen to jump in her car and go where she needs to go, and rarely do I think twice about it anymore. But whenever I drive with her, I see her mimicking many of my own driving habits. Like her tendency to take her corners too tight and too fast—or giving directions to the drivers in front of us, like they can hear us, …
Friday, September 28, 2012
Tell us why you won't text and drive and you could win some cool prizes, including smart phone with accessories that promote safe use! Patch has partnered with AT&T to raise awareness about distracted driving.
You've no doubt glanced over at a driver next to you and see him texting. AT&T's "It Can Wait" campaign discourages the dangerous behavior. Distracted driving contributed to 5,474 traffic deaths in 2009 nationwide, and 3,986 accidents in Michigan last year. "Our goal is to save lives," AT&T Chairman & CEO Randall Stephenson said in a release. Patch.com in Michigan is partnering with AT&T to raise awareness about distracted driving. We are launching a series of stories and, in partnership with AT&T, are also rewarding readers who commit to not text and drive. We want to know what stops you from texting and driving. In the comments below, finish this sentence, "I won't text and drive because ..." Maybe it's for family, a friend, a pet, or …
Thursday, September 27, 2012
New technology has been introduced to help curb distracted drivers from texting and driving. Check out these apps and gadgets that can help make you a less distracted driver.
Texting and driving is a choice. It's a dangerous choice, but nonetheless, it's a choice drivers make every time they get behind the wheel. It's ironic that there are technologies that were created to block us from our own leaps in communication technology. However, with texting and driving being called a "national epidemic" by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, nonprofit groups to automakers, communications giants and concerned parents have created technologies that will make the roads a safer place. Here's a look at some of the applications, gadgets and in-vehicle technologies that have been invented to cut down on distracted driving. Motorola Text-To-Speech Bluetooth Headset When paired with the application MotoSpeak, the Motorola …
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Shavonne Jones of AT&T hopes the DriveMode app will save lives by keeping drivers' focus on the road.
It happens to many every day. The beckon of a digitized "ding" alerting cell users that a text message has come in while you're behind the wheel. One woman, an AT&T Detroit employee, has come up with a solution to combat the problematic temptation of texting while driving. "It's kind of like an out-of-office alert," Jones said of the free DriveMode app. "You can program your message: 'I’m driving right now. I can text you back later.'" Shavonne Jones' DriveMode app allows users who download it to program a message that it automatically sends to callers and texters. It correlates with the mission of AT&T's “It Can Wait” campaign, which urges drivers to wait until they're no longer behind the wheel to send text messages. Although texting and…
Friday, March 16, 2012
Senate-passed bill would affect new motorists with graduated licenses.
Cellphones and the youngest drivers don't go together safely, a majority of Michigan senators believe. Under a proposal that passed the Senate by a 28-10 vote Thursday, teens with Level 1 or 2 graduated licenses could be ticketed and fined for driving while chatting on a phone – even in hands-free mode. The bill now goes to the state House. Backers want to reduce risky distractions among newcomers behind the wheel. Some senators voted against the measure because they favor a broader crackdown, the Associated Press reports. The legislation is called "Kelsey's Law" in memory of a Sault Ste. Marie 17-year-old who had a fatal crash while talking on her phone in 2010. Teens with Level 3 licenses, typically issued to 17-year-olds, would be …
katie
2:26 pm on Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Like this will really stop them. What is the punishment if they get caught? more ›