Michigan State Police issued a new crash report that details what they consider distracted driving.
Eating, drinking, grooming, changing the radio station, and even talking to your passenger are considered distractions. But the biggest problem police say is texting, those whose lives were affected by it say no distraction is worth it.
"I didn't think it would happen to us. I never dreamt I'd have a sheriff on my front porch," Maureen Howell said.
But it did. On Valentine's Day in 2005. Maureen's son, Sam picked up his phone while driving. In an instant, Sam and his car went flying off a snowbank and hit a tree. Doctors told Maureen that her son would likely not survive and if he did, he would never walk, talk or eat again.
"When it happens to you, you would do anything, give all the money you have, everything you own to have it not have happened. To have it not have happened, all you have to do is turn that phone off," she said.
According to MSP, In 2016, over 12,00 crashes in Michigan involved distracted driving. Of those, almost 2,000 involved a cell phone.
With this in mind, state police are cracking down on distracted driving. Trooper Travis Fletcher says that a reason for the increase in cell phone use on the roads is because younger generations who grew up with technology are now getting behind the wheel.
"Its not acceptable. And also to make the road a safer place, we aren't cracking down on this just because," Tpr. Fletcher said.
For people like Sam Howell, who beat all the odds, getting the message out there about the dangers of distracted driving is vital.
"So you miss a call, its not the end of the world. If you have this injury, it could be the end of your life," he said.
If the dangers aren't enough to stop you, maybe the cost is. The first offense for distracted driving is a $100 fine and $200 for repeat offenders.
During Michigan's statewide distracted driving enforcement period in April, officers made more than 12,000 stops and handed out over 1,000 tickets.
