{"id":70896,"date":"2025-12-23T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-23T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/?p=70896"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:06:35","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T16:06:35","slug":"michigan-gets-low-marks-for-traffic-safety-laws-in-national-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/michigan-government\/michigan-gets-low-marks-for-traffic-safety-laws-in-national-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Michigan gets low marks for traffic safety laws in national report"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>\u00a0Traffic fatalities on Michigan roads have increased since the pandemic<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>\u00a0A national traffic safety organization gives Michigan low marks for safety laws<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>\u00a0Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently launched a commission to lower traffic deaths by 30%<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Michigan is among the worst states for traffic safety laws, according to a new report by a traffic safety consumer group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/saferoads.org\/advocates-roadmap-reports\/\">Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety<\/a> gave Michigan and eight other states its lowest rating for road safety laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Traffic deaths have <a href=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/michigan-government\/traffic-deaths-spike-michigan-2019-experts-blame-risky-driving\/\">risen since the pandemic<\/a>. Nationally, deaths involving vehicles rose 8.2% between 2019 and 2024. Michigan deaths jumped 11.5% over the same period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2024, there were 1,099 traffic deaths in the state, an average of three per day, according to Michigan State Police data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the first half of 2025, Michigan\u2019s traffic fatalities were down 7.9%, with 453 deaths compared to 492 in the same period in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Several factors are contributing to the rise in fatalities and crashes, according to Patrick Daughtery, assistant deputy director of the Michigan State Police\u2019s Field Services Bureau.<br><br><strong>Related: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/michigan-government\/traffic-deaths-spike-michigan-2019-experts-blame-risky-driving\/\"><strong>Traffic deaths spike in Michigan since 2019; experts blame risky driving<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/michigan-government\/drug-use-a-growing-factor-in-fatal-crashes-on-michigan-roadways\/\"><strong>Drug use a growing factor in fatal crashes on Michigan roadways<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/michigan-government\/drunk-driving-crashes-michigan-arrests-down-enforcement-wanes\/\"><strong>Drunk driving crashes up in Michigan, but arrests down as enforcement wanes<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMobile technologies are leading to more distracted-driving crashes, and we are seeing an increase in risky-driving behaviors, such as excessive speeding,\u201d Daugherty said in a statement. \u201cAdding alcohol and\/or drugs to the mix increases the danger for everyone on the road.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety based its ratings on how many of what it considers optimal safety laws have been codified in each state, according to Katherine Chase, president of the organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis report is a call to action for our elected officials to address the ongoing crisis of motor vehicle crashes,\u201d Chase said in a recent streamed news conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The report credited Michigan for enforcement of front-seat seatbelt use, along with rear-facing infant seats and a law requiring children under the age of 12 to sit in the back seat. Also a positive for the state: laws against open alcohol containers, restrictions on texting while driving and <a href=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/michigan-government\/5-things-know-automated-tickets-coming-michigan-work-zones-school-buses\/\">automated speed enforcement in construction zones<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Among the policies Michigan needs to improve safety, according to the report:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Helmet requirement for motorcyclists. Currently, drivers under 21 must wear helmets, but those 21 and over can ride helmetless if they meet an insurance minimum.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>70 hours of supervised driving for new drivers. Currently, new drivers must complete at least <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/sos\/license-id\/new-drivers-under-18\">50 hours <\/a>of supervised driving, including at least 10 hours at night, before taking a driver skill test to get a Level 2 license, which allows unsupervised driving.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nighttime driving restrictions and passenger limits for drivers under 18. Sixteen and 17-year-old drivers are about three times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash at night than during the day, according to the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/sos\/license-id\/new-drivers-under-18\"> Secretary of State\u2019s office<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Prohibition on use of cell phones for any purpose other than emergencies for new drivers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mandated installation of a breathalyzer to start a vehicle for those convicted of drunk driving.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Allow cameras on traffic signals to catch drivers running red lights.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In early December, Michigan\u2019s Governor\u2019s Traffic Safety Advisory Commission launched a statewide initiative with the goal of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/mspnewsroom\/news-releases\/2025\/12\/04\/gtsac-leads-unified-effort-to-cut-roadway-fatalities-30-percent-by-2030\">reducing traffic deaths by 30% by 2030<\/a>. It\u2019s unclear what that commission will do \u2014 a state website laying out the tactics for reducing road fatalities was not operational as of mid-December.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEvery Michigander deserves safe roads so they can go to work, school or the grocery store,\u201d Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement about the commission. \u201cWe all have a role to play in making our roads safer, and by being proactive and taking responsibility for eliminating dangerous driving behaviors, we can protect our communities, strengthen our public safety and save lives.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Traffic deaths have jumped since the pandemic nationally, and even more so in Michigan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1804,"featured_media":70894,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","inline_featured_image":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"2025-12-23T13:00:52Z","apple_news_api_id":"db639d19-4b33-4e72-972d-7c76e03cea19","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2025-12-23T13:00:52Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/A22OdGUszTnKXLXx24DzqGQ","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[2445],"tags":[4328],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[2459],"class_list":["post-70896","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-michigan-government","tag-top-of-homepage","entry"],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.0 - 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Ron came to Bridge in 2011 from The Detroit News, where he was a project reporter. Born and raised in Indiana, Ron graduated from Purdue University. He reported for newspapers across Indiana before moving to Michigan in 1995. Ron lives in Okemos, and like the true Michigander he\u2019s become, he now has a family cabin Up North. 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