By Lisa Allmendinger
The Chelsea Police Department (CPD) teamed up with the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) for a high-visibility distracted driving enforcement effort during National Distracted Driving Awareness month.
Throughout the month of April, police officers throughout the state enforced Michigan’s Hands-Free Law, which took effect on June 30, 2023. The goal of this initiative was to reduce traffic crashes, injuries and deaths caused by distracted driving, especially those involving the use of a mobile device.
During April, CPD officers conducted 32 extra hours of enforcement focusing on, but not limited to, drivers on their mobile devices, said Police Chief Kevin Kazyak.
Within those extra hours, CPD issued 24 tickets for talking on a mobile device and five additional civil infractions, he said.
For the month, officers issued a total of 31 citations for talking on a mobile device, and the cost for the extra 32 hours will be reimbursed through an OHSP grant.
According to Michigan Traffic Crash Facts, motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver decreased by 4.6 percent from 15,136 in 2023 to 14,439 in 2024. However, the number of fatalities in distraction-involved crashes increased 10 percent from 59 fatalities in 2023 to 65 in 2024.
“While fewer distracted-driving crashes is encouraging news, the increase in mobile device use and distracted-driving-related fatalities is alarming,” said Alicia Sledge, OHSP director in a press release. “Nearly 300 people have died in distraction-involved crashes in Michigan from 2020 to 2024. That should concern every roadway user and underscores the need for people to embrace safer-driving habits.”
Jim Santilli, CEO of the National Transportation Safety Organization, said, “Distracted driving is not an accident—it is a deliberate choice that can inflict lasting harm on families.”
He added, “Safer roads rely on all of us committing to drive without distractions.”
Distracted driving carries deadly consequences on Michigan roads, with cell phone use the most common distraction. Other risky actions include adjusting the radio or GPS, applying makeup, eating, and drinking.
“Any activity that takes your eyes off the road and your hands off the wheel is extremely reckless and can have devastating consequences,” Santilli said.
Violating Michigan’s Hands-Free Law can be costly: For the first offense, a $100 ticket and/or 16 hours of community service; for the second offense, a $250 ticket and/or 24 hours of community service; and for a third offense within a three-year period, the driver must complete a driving-improvement course.
A recent observational study from Michigan State University (MSU) found that mobile device use by drivers increased from 5.2 percent in 2024 to 5.7 percent in 2025. The OHSP works with MSU each year to collect data to determine annual handheld device use rates on Michigan roads.
