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Whitmer signs distracted driving bill into law

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Steve Keifer spoke as Governor Gretchen Whitmer was about to sign a bill to enact penalties to discourage drivers from using hand-held electronic devices behind the wheel. Keifer’s 18-year-old son Mitchel died in 2016 in a vehicle crash related to distracted driving.
Rick Pluta

Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a law today (WED) to ban using hand-held electronic devices while driving. Retired General Motors executive Steve Keifer (KEE-fer) was on hand for the bill-signing ceremony in Plymouth. He’s spent years lobbying for a hands-free driving law.

“This is the 26th state but we’re not stopping here. We’re going to take a little time to celebrate. We’re kicking off hands-free Florida next and we will not stop until all 50 states have hands-free legislation on the books saving lives all over the country.”

Keifer lost his 18-year-old son Mitchell in 2016 in a crash on I-96 involving a distracted driver. The new state law takes effect on June 30th. According to the Michigan State Police, six in 10 crashes in Michigan involve distracted driving.

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Rick Pluta is Senior Capitol Correspondent for the Michigan Public Radio Network.