Put the phones down.
In three weeks it will be illegal to have a cellphone - or any electronic device - in your hand while driving.
Michigan became the 26th “hands-free state” Wednesday when Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a distracted driving bill into law. It will take effect June 30, right before the busy holiday weekend.
“It’s something that I wanted 12 years ago and it’s finally happening,” said Bonnie Raffaele of Sault Ste. Marie.
Raffaele lost her daughter Kelsey in a car accident caused by Kelsey’s own distracted driving. Bonnie worked for years before getting “Kelsey’s Law” passed, banning cellphone use by teens while driving.
Since then, the reins were taken by Steve Kiefer, whose family had a similar tragedy.
“Mitchell was killed by a distracted driver in 2016,” Kiefer said of his son. “And of course, we’re here to save lives in Michigan.”
“You can’t help get teary just looking at a young life cut short by a distracted driver,” said Whitmer.
Kiefer spearheaded the next step, banning electronic device use by all drivers in the state.
“With ‘Kelsey’s Law,’ it kind of worked, but it was more of getting the kids in a routine of doing it,” said Raffaele. “But they couldn’t tell how old the kids were in the car to pull them over. Now it’s anybody who has that cellphone, they get to be pulled over.”
When the law takes effect on June 30, drivers will not be allowed to have an electronic device in their hand while driving. It does allow for Bluetooth or hand-free calls. It does allow for single button pressing, like answering a call. It also has exemptions for on-duty first responders and 911 calls.
“You’ll see a real campaign to ensure that the public understands the laws, what the expectations are, and that will be enforced in a number of ways,” said Whitmer.
The Raffaeles and the Kiefers are just two families that have to live with the impact of distracted driving.
“It’s real, and to see a family who turns their pain into a cause to save people, is one of the most amazing things I’ve seen as a public servant,” said Whitmer.
They hope their loss is another parent’s gain, as they wont stop here. They plan to regroup and look toward other states to put down the phones and just drive.
“Kelsey and Mitchell are dancing in heaven,” said Raffaele. “She would be so proud and so happy because even though she made a mistake that cost her her life, she would be the first to say don’t do what I did.”
