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Evidence mounts that distracted driving laws make a difference

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

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

His analysis includes data on distracted driving in Michigan broken down by county. His firm is reporting updated numbers that show meaningful strides in the right direction.

McMahon also cites preliminary data showing a reduction in crashes in Michigan in 2024.

Michigan phone motion by county

Michigan phone motion by county showing above and below Michigan averages.

Hand-held phone calls chart showing Michigan vs. the United States.

Hand-held phone calls chart showing Michigan vs. the United States. The chart shows the average minutes of hand-held calls per hour of driving.

Phone motion showing Michigan vs. the United States.

Phone motion showing Michigan vs. the United States. The chart shows the average minutes of hand-held calls per hour of driving.

Listen now at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1374205.

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