GHSA maintains data on state laws surrounding a number of highway safety issues. Below is information regarding laws in the state of Michigan. For more information, consult the State Highway Safety Office.
Helmets required for riders under 21 or for riders and passengers without additional insurance. Universal helmet law repealed 2012.
4 years
None
Zero tolerance for some drugs
Legal for medical and recreational use
Zero tolerance for THC
70 (75 on select segments)
65
70
60; 55 if speed limit for cars is less than 70 MPH
70
60; 55 if speed limit for cars is less than 70 MPH
0.17
30-180 days
After 45 days
Mandatory for high BAC (0.17) and repeat convictions
Yes
Yes
8-15 yrs or 57" or taller
Under age 8 and under 57" tall
Younger than 2 yrs, unless reached the weight or height limit set by manufacturer, must be in a rear-facing system; 2-4 yrs, unless reached the weight or height limit set by manufacturer, must be in forward-facing restraint; 5-7 yrs, unless reached height of 4 feet 9 inches, must be in a belt-positioning child booster (effective 09/25/24)
17 years
14 / 9
6
50 (10)
16
10 p.m. - 5 a.m.
No more than 1 under 21
Primary
16 and over
Front
Yes
Yes, handheld ban. Primary law.
Yes, handheld ban. Primary law.
All drivers. Primary law.
n/a
None (State law requires law enforcement to witness violations)
n/a
None (State law requires law enforcement to witness violations)
It’s undeniable that American roads have gotten more dangerous since the pandemic began. A new study this month from the AAA Foundation found that traffic-related deaths jumped by 17 percent between 2020 and 2022. In particular, more teens, young drivers, and men were killed than the experts anticipated.
Story by Micheline Maynard
August 15, 2024
Traffic crashes caused by alcohol and drugs have surged in the past decade, as police are stopping and arresting fewer drunk drivers, according to a Bridge Michigan analysis of state traffic data. Since 2014, fatal alcohol-and-drug related crashes rose 40% while drunk-driving arrests fell 28% over that time, to 26,408 last year from 35,060 in 2014. Over the same time, car deaths blamed on alcohol and drugs rose to 445 last year from 319 in 2014.
Michigan lawmakers on Tuesday took steps to impose more stringent penalties on drivers who injure runners, bicyclists and other road users, arguing an extra level of accountability is necessary. A pair of bills passed out of the Michigan House Tuesday with bipartisan support are part of a larger bicameral initiative to give prosecutors new options to charge motorists who hit “vulnerable roadway users.”
GHSA and Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT) today released a new report addressing the growing concern over smartphone-induced distracted driving. The report proposes states implement a multi-faceted approach to improve road safety that includes the adoption of strong and clear laws, which CMT research confirms have a positive impact on distraction rates.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 28, 2024
Contacts: Adam Snider (GHSA), 202-580-7930, 202-365-8971 (after hours)
Lisa-Marie Pascuccio (CMT)
Governors Highway Safety Association, Cambridge Mobile Telematics release "A Road Map for Safer Roads" to highlight comprehensive strategies to combat distracted driving
As vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death for teen drivers, the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) was provided a grant from Ford Driving Skill for Life and GHSA to develop a state-specific Teen Driver Parental Toolkit focused on teens and speeding.
Pamela Fischer, senior director of external engagement at the Washington D.C.-based Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), offers her organization’s perspective on the problem and how automated traffic enforcement could stem the tide.
As summer winds down and millions of Americans take to the roads for the Labor Day weekend, GHSA is reminding motorists that State Highway Safety Offices and their federal and law enforcement partners are stepping up efforts to reduce drunk and drug-impaired driving.
As summer winds down and millions of Americans take to the roads for the Labor Day weekend, GHSA is reminding motorists that SHSOs and their federal and law enforcement partners are stepping up efforts to reduce drunk and drug-impaired driving, a preventable behavior that puts road users at risk.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 26, 2021
CONTACT: Adam Snider, 202-580-7930
202-365-8971 (after hours)
As traffic volumes rise, State Highway Safety Offices increase efforts to protect road users
