MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, a critical time to spotlight a dangerous habit that continues to impact drivers, passengers, and pedestrians every day.
It’s a habit many drivers admit to; checking a text, adjusting the GPS, or grabbing a quick bite, often without thinking twice. But safety officials say those small distractions can quickly turn into life-changing decisions.
“The biggest thing is always going to be our cell phones. It’s, you know, whether we’re sitting at home or in the car or wherever we go. It’s always a distraction with the cell phones. But it’s not just the cell phone itself. It can be anything that’s distracting, something on the side of the road, something that, anything that takes away your attention from the road,” said Alex Kemp, an automobile accident attorney.
According to traffic safety experts, distracted driving continues to be one of the leading causes and crashes nationwide. Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for about five seconds, long enough to travel the length of a football field at highway speeds.
“Distracted driving in the state of Michigan is illegal, and if you absolutely have to read that text or return that phone call. The only way to safely do it is to pull over and put it in park.”
“Actually, drivers who are texting are 23 times more likely to be in a crash than if they’re not texting, and that number, 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash, is the same number as if someone is driving drunk,” explained Kemp.
Michigan has two laws aimed at distracted driving. The first says all phones must be hands-free. The second is aimed at younger drivers.
“When drivers get their learners permit and early license of level one and two, driver’s license with one and two cannot use a cell phone in any way,” said Kemp.
The bottom line: put down your phone. If not, you could get a ticket and be fined, but you might also cause a crash with consequences that could last a lifetime.
