If you have to drive through Troy, Michigan today, make sure that is the only activity you are doing behind the wheel. As of July 29, 2010, the Distracted Driving Ordinance went into effect in the city of Troy, Michigan. There is no tolerance for eating, grooming, reading, writing, texting, talking on a hand held cell phone or anything that that could distract a driver and result in a failure to safely operate a vehicle.

From now until September 30, 2010, any driver who is caught by Troy Police and is driving while distracted will receive a warning and educational material about the new ordinance. Troy’s law is stricter than the state “No Texting” law that went into effect on July 1, 2010.

Beginning October 1, drivers in Troy will receive fines for distracted driving offenses. Texting while driving will carry a $200.00 fine. Listening or talking on a hand held cell phone while driving will carry a $75.00 fine. Driving while distracted with a common activity such as applying make-up, reading or eating will result in a $200.00 fine. The fines will carry no points.

Troy police department insists “Our goal is safety, not dollars.” According to the Insurance Institute for Highway safety, drivers using hand-held devices are four times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. Public Information Officer, Jim Feld stated, “For the past six months we’ve noticed an increase in the number of accidents involving distractions, judging from statements taken from drivers but we have no plans to set up certain areas to target drivers. We just want to keep everyone safe.”

The mayor of Troy also agrees with enforcing this ordinance. Mayor Louise Schilling stated, “We know people want to be safe and secure when driving their vehicles. By controlling distracted driving behaviors people help themselves and others around them avoid accidents, injuries and death.”

Below are tips from AAA to help manage distraction while driving:
• Recognize that driving requires your full attention.
• Use your cell phone only if absolutely necessary.
• If you must use your phone, choose a safe time and place, keeping the conversation short.
• Ask a passenger to place a call for you and, if possible, speak in your place.
• Do not compose, send or read text messages while driving. In Michigan, texting while driving is illegal.
• Ask passengers to help with directions or adjust dashboard controls.
• Secure loose items in the vehicle so they don’t become projectiles or distractions in a sudden stop or crash.
• Avoid intense, complicated or emotional conversations when driving.
• Pull over to care for children.
• Stop to eat or drink, rather than trying to eat or drink while driving.
• Get plenty of rest.
• Program your GPS prior to starting your trip.
• Allow plenty of time for your trip.

These simple but effective steps could save a life, possibly your own.

If you were in a serious auto accident involving a driver who was distracted while driving and have questions about your legal rights, contact an experienced Michigan auto accident attorney immediately.

In response to the rapidly raising costs and limited resources, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and its contracting agencies are modifying how winter maintenance operations will be handled on state highways. This means some state highways may take longer to be cleared following a snowstorm. Revisions to maintenance activities are a reflection of Michigan’s transportation funding crisis, which is the result of falling state fuel tax revenues and vehicle registration fees, reduced purchasing power due to inflation and rising construction and materials (such as salt) costs.

This winter, state highways throughout Michigan will be designated either Priority Service Level I (Orange Routes) or II (Blue Routes). During snowfalls, there will be no change in winter maintenance operations. On orange routes, maintenance crews will work to clear the entire pavement of ice and snow both during and after a snow event, using overtime if necessary. The orange routes are MDOT-identified as highways of significance based on economic and travel trends.

On blue routes, maintenance crews will work to clear most snow and ice from roads. At a minimum, roads will be cleared for one wheel-track in each direction, by the conclusion of a snow event. The reminder of the snow and ice on blue routes will be cleared as soon as possible after the snow event without working overtime. While blue routes may be passable, they will not necessarily be completely clear until after snow has stopped accumulating.

MDOT also wants to correct the misconception that more salt is the cure for slippery roads in all cases. When temperatures fall to 10 to 20 degrees, the action of the salt (which lowers the freezing temperature of water) takes longer to work and refreezes at a much faster rate. When temperatures fall below zero to 10 degrees, the melting, dilution of the salt and the refreezing process accelerates even more. This causes the potential for a more dangerous condition than what previously existed.

MDOT encourages drivers to adopt the following winter driving tips: