Governor Calls For Ban On Hand-Held Electronic Devices While Driving

Distracted driving is the number one cause of traffic accidents, leading to an average of 1,000 accidents per day and nine people killed.

Michigan already has a ban on texting while driving but Governor Gretchen Whitmer is calling for the legislature to pass a “hands-free” law, which would ban the use of any hand held electronic device behind the wheel.

State Senator Ed McBroom (R-Vulcan) says not everyone is pleased with the results of the texting ban passed in 2010. “A lot of folks I’m working with say all that did was move people from texting with their phone on top of their steering wheel to texting with their phone in their lap,” said McBroom.

Proponents of the hands-free law say it will save lives but McBroom said he is not optimistic that it will get much support in the legislature.