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House Committee To Discuss Distracted Driving Bill

Texting and driving.
Courtesy of Government of Alberta.
/
Government of Alberta
Courtesy Photo.

Today, a House committee will meet for the second time to discuss a ban on hand-held devices. This is an effort to crack down on distracted driving.  

The ban would restrict all phones used while driving with an exception for hands-free technology. It would make Michigan the 15th state to ban driving with a hand-held phone.

The bill, if passed, would increase fines for an initial violation from $100 to $250, and add a point to the motorist’s license.

A second violation will jump from $200 to $500.

A third will add two more points.

There has been a 70 percent spike in distracted driving since 2015. Last year, there were almost 13,000 crashes involving distracted driving in Michigan alone.

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