MITCHEL KIEFER MEMORIAL HIGHWAY S.B. 480:
ANALYSIS AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE
Senate Bill 480 (as reported without amendment)
RATIONALE
Mitchel Kiefer, a native of Northville, a Detroit Catholic Central graduate, and a Michigan State University student, was killed at the age of 18 after his car was rear-ended and forced across the median into oncoming traffic on I-96 near the Williamston Road exit on September 19, 2016, while he was returning to Michigan State University. Reportedly, the offending driver was speeding and using a mobile messaging application called Snapchat, and evidently was oblivious to Mr. Kiefer's vehicle. In memory of Mr. Kiefer, and as a reminder of the dangers of distracted driving, it has been suggested that a portion of I-96 should be named after him.
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Michigan Memorial Highway Act to name the portion of highway I-96 beginning at mile marker 122 and extending west to mile marker 118 as the "Mitchel Kiefer Memorial Highway".
The bill would take effect 90 days after it was enacted.
ARGUMENTS
(Please note: The arguments contained in this analysis originate from sources outside the Senate Fiscal Agency. The Senate Fiscal Agency neither supports nor opposes legislation.)
Supporting Argument
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately nine people are killed and more than 1,000 are injured each day across the United States in crashes involving a distracted driver. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that 10% of fatal crashes, 15% of injury crashes, and 14% of all police-reported motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2015 were reported as distraction-affected crashes. According to the NHTSA, in 2015, 3,477 people were killed and an estimated 391,000 injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers, while 551 nonoccupants (pedestrians, bicyclists, and others) were killed in distraction-affected crashes.
The Kiefer family developed the Kiefer Foundation to raise awareness about distracted driving, and to make highways safer. Reportedly, the Foundation raised over $1.0 million in its first year. According to mlive.com, the Foundation is investing $300,000 with the Michigan Department of Transportation to erect 1.7 miles of cable barriers along I-96 in the area of the accident. The median Mitchel Kiefer was forced across was narrow, being only 52 feet across. Naming a highway after him would be a fitting way to memorialize Mr. Kiefer, and would serve as an important reminder about the dangers of distracted driving.
Legislative Analyst: Drew Krogulecki