If you paid attention in drivers training then you probably know this story. 17 year old Kelsey Raffaele lost her life in 2010 due to her being distracted by her phone while driving. Since then, to honor Kelsey and lower distracted driving incidents, a law was passed. 

   With the support of Kelsey’s mother, Bonnie, the law was passed in 2013. This law prohibits phone use of any kind while driving. This includes initiating a call, answering a call, or listening to/engaging in verbal communications through a cell phone. Any violation of this law results in a ticket. 

  Furthermore, a scholarship based around this event has been created in hopes of raising awareness and honoring Kelsey. Students that are given this scholarship are typically good leaders that use their platform to raise awareness for drivers of all ages around Michigan. This includes mentioning that phones are not the only ‘distraction’ while driving. 

   To be considered for this scholarship, juniors and seniors are expected to submit a persuasive message about the dangers of distracted driving for young drivers. This can be in any form, such as videos, graphics, or tweets that influence safe driving and resonate with their peers. Here the video that won last year for reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeUNZ43qIaQ 

   Entries are judged based on how persuasive they are, if they grab attention, if they show a clear message, and if they show creativity. Award amounts include $2000 for overall best submission, $1500 for best video submission, $1000 for best graphics submission, and $500 for best tweet submission. Each student is limited to 1 entry overall. 

   Winners will be announced sometime April 2024, which is also National Distracted Driving Awareness month. Applications are being excepted from now until March 31st through this link: https://www.michiganautolaw.com/ Any other information can be found here:https://www.michiganautolaw.com/Scholarships/