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Michigan law enforcement cracking down on distracted driving April 7

"Connect to Disconnect" is a four-hour distracted driving enforcement and awareness initiative, which will take place on Thursday

An initiative to reduce distracted driving begins this week in Michigan, spearheaded by several Michigan law enforcement agencies.

“Connect to Disconnect” is a four-hour distracted driving enforcement and awareness initiative, which will take place Thursday (April 7). It’s in honor of National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

The initiative is also part of the national “U Drive. U Text. U Pay.” media campaign, which informs drivers about the dangers of distracted driving. That campaign runs from April 7 through April 11.

Officials hope this initiative reduces traffic injuries and shows “a nationwide commitment to enforcing texting and distracted driving laws.”

“We’re hoping this enforcement period will help reduce the ever-increasing number of crashes involving distracted drivers,” Alicia Sledge, interim director of the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning, said in a statement. “At the same time, we will send a reminder that texting while driving in Michigan is illegal, dangerous and deadly.”

Michigan law states that, reading, manually typing or sending a text message while driving is against the law. If convicted, it could result in a $100 fine for the first offense and $200 for subsequent offenses. There are some exceptions, such as reporting crashes, crimes and emergencies. For more information on distracted driving, visit Michigan’s website and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website.

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