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Three years later, is the hands-free law reducing Michigan crashes?

Talking Michigan Transportation

Chapters
0:00
Welcome And The Distracted Driving Problem
1:12
How Telematics Measures Risky Driving
4:40
The Sensors Inside Every Smartphone
7:29
Incentives And Why Habits Persist
9:41
Michigan Hands-Free Law Early Gains
13:42
What The Law Actually Prohibits
14:37
Mackinac Island And Weather Surprises
17:13
Rural And Urban Distraction Looks Similar
19:47
How Ohio Sustains Hands-Free Awareness
22:48
From Statewide Trends To Local Fixes
27:24
Why Distraction Rarely Shows In Reports
32:31
Chasing The Next 12 Percent Drop
34:47
Closing And Where To Find Notes
Talking Michigan Transportation
Three years later, is the hands-free law reducing Michigan crashes?
May 06, 2026 Season 8 Episode 268

On this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, an update from Ryan McMahon of Cambridge Mobile Telematics, a Massachusetts firm that tracks data from drivers(participating voluntarily with their insurance carriers) to analyze statistics and driver behavior. 

McMahon spoke on the podcast previously, including a few months after Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the lawin 2023 making it illegal to use a hand-held electronic device while driving.

Following a report in April from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) showing crash numbers declining to pre-pandemic levels, McMahon talks about how that correlates to distracted driving related to the use of electronic devices. He said the significant drop in 2023 has been sustained but further progress has plateaued through 2025.

“Looking at this year through April 30, I see a slight trend upward,” McMahon said.

A recent State Farm survey found that distracted driving is the top roadway safety concern among U.S. licensed drivers ages 18 to 75. The survey also found that roughly 70 percent of drivers agree that hands-free laws would help reduce driver distraction. 

McMahon also talks about his firm’s findings about what areas of Michigan have the highest use of electronic devices while driving and a specific place that has the least.