Most months on the calendar serve multiple purposes when it comes to raising awareness for certain causes. April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, National Cancer Society Month, and National Autism Awareness Month, to name but a few. However, as drunk and drugged driving defense attorneys, we figured our clients would be stopping by for info on one very specific thing – National Distracted Driving Awareness month. So here it is.
April means stepped up patrols all over Michigan!
All over our Great Lakes State, from Lansing to Grand Rapids and Clinton County to Jackson, police departments are stepping up their patrols to reduce distracted driving. According to the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning, “Michigan saw a 57% increase in distracted driving crashes and a 67% increase in fatalities from those crashes from 2016 to 2017.” They’re hoping that with statewide police enforcement efforts and increased education about the dangers, we can see those numbers decrease in the coming years.
Troy Police are stepping up their enforcement!
In Troy, the local police department has additional cop cars out on the roads and increased patrols. The city of Troy is a “hands free” city by ordinance, which means drivers are not allowed to be holding their phones for any reason. Any driver pulled over with their phone in their hand, or doing something other than paying attention to the road, can expect a ticket. Last year the Troy PD handed out 564 distracted driving tickets during the month of April, and they fully expect to top that number this year.
Saginaw Police are joining “U Text. U Drive. U Pay.”
The Saginaw Police Department is joining forces with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to educate drivers on the dangers of distracted driving. But education isn’t their only goal. They’re also increasing road patrols in the hopes of catching more distracted drivers as part of the U Text U Drive U Pay enforcement effort that takes place in April.
MSP in the Detroit area are increasing their patrols!
10 Michigan State Police troopers got an early start on the annual distracted driving initiative by conducting stops along one of the most complained about stretches of road in Oakland County – the M59. However troopers will be all over the Detroit area during the month of April, issuing tickets for distracted driving. So be sure not to text, put on makeup, eat, or scold your children while driving, unless you want to pay a $100 ticket for the first offense, and $200 for the second one.
Distracted and drunk driving are both dangerous!
Distracted driving doesn’t have the same bad rap that drunk driving does, but both are very dangerous and can cost lives. So a note to all of our readers: please be safe! Don’t drink and drive, and don’t drive without paying attention. However, if you make a mistake and need help dealing with the fallout, call 866 766 5245 (866 7No Jail) today and speak to an experienced DUI defense attorney at The Kronzek Firm. We’ve been defending people from all over Michigan for decades and our track record of successful results speaks for itself. We can help you today.
