Hands-free driving laws like the one Michigan passed in 2023 to reduce distracted driving are working, according to a study by a telematics firm.
The company, Massachusetts-based Cambridge Mobile Telematics, found that in the 12 months since Michigan banned hands-on cellphone use while operating a vehicle, it saw a 12.8% decrease in distracted driving.
Are your drivers distracted?
Cambridge Mobile Telematics estimates that this drop has prevented 5,500 crashes, 3,000 injuries, 25 fatalities, and $218 million in economic damages.
According to the analysis covered in the Detroit Metro Times, in the month before the law took effect, drivers used their phones for 1 minute and 48 seconds per hour of driving. Though cellphone use ticked back up following an initial drop in the months that followed, it has since dropped to the lowest rates in recent months.
Source: Detroit Metro Times
About the Author
Frank RaczonFrank Raczon
Frank Raczon has covered and influenced the equipment industry for 35 years, including 15 years as senior editor of Construction Equipment, and marketing, advertising, and public relations work with the industry's top manufacturers. In addition to authoring "Caterpillar: Modern Earthmoving Marvels" (Motorbooks, 2015), he has won numerous awards in his career, highlighted by nods from the Construction Writers Association, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, the Business Marketing Association, and BtoB magazine. Raczon has also won a number of awards from publishing peer groups such as ASBPE and TABPI.