GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Michigan's new distracted driving law takes effect tomorrow and drivers will be pulled over for holding a mobile device while driving. Extreme Car Audio in Grand Rapids has seen an uptick in calls asking about making changes to their vehicles in anticipation.
"A lot of people have been coming in just preparing for the new laws that are to come, getting up fitted services for their vehicles, to just make it more hands free driving and less distracted," said Nicholes Leopold, the Assistant Store Manager at Extreme Car Audio.
While older vehicles lack the technology that make Bluetooth and voice-command technology accessible in newer cars, these features can be added, and make driving safer according to Leopold.
"We do OEM add on, Carplay adapters, so that way you can get it added to your vehicle if it doesn't have it already. Also, we can do aftermarket radios that will give you hands free driving, hands free calling turn by turn directions using Siri voice command or verbal controls, as well as safety and collision avoidance. So blind spot monitoring, lane departure Parking Assist, all that great features that would keep you less distracted on the road."
There was a 2004 Chevy Corvette being worked on in the shop, which was having modifications made to better accommodate hands-free device use.
"This one in particular, we're putting in an aftermarket stereo that retains all of the factory features, and it has a screen on there. So to show your Google Maps or Apple Maps, to just again, make it more hands free, as well as enabled for voice command."
Leopold says that these updates can be made within a day with a scheduled appointment. Texting while driving has been illegal in Michigan since 2010, but the Michigan Department of Transportation says the law expanding to all non hands-free use will make roads safer. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,522 people died in 2021 due to incidents involving distracted driving.
Those who are not willing to make updates to the technology in their vehicle, can use phone stands and holders and utilize voice-commands.
Extreme Car Audio can be found at their new location off of 29th Street in Kentwood.
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