Kent County ranks fourth in Michigan for crashes involving distracted drivers with more than 1,300 in 2024.
One in five involved swerving in lanes, a third happened at intersections.
44 bicyclists and 112 pedestrians were hit. Twelve died.
“It’s just a quick text but we fail to realize that for every second or half second your eyes are off the road, your vehicle is traveling – depending on speed – hundreds of feet per second.”
Ryan Ykimoff is one of the extra road patrol deputies with Kent County, assigned throughout April focusing on distracted driving violations as part of a statewide effort led by the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning.
Sergeant Scott Dietrich says cellphone use while driving is most common, but all distractions are dangerous.
“We have seen it all. We’ve seen everything from the eating, the putting on makeup, reading a book, on a tablet, on a laptop, you name it.”
Under Michigan law, it’s illegal to manually use a cellphone or other electronic device while driving and devices mounted on the dashboard or synced to the vehicle must be operated using one touch only.
“Distracted driving is the leading cause of serious crashes in Michigan, so our goal is to reduce those crashes through visibility, education and enforcement. We want people to think twice before they pick up that phone.”
