TRAVERSE CITY, MI (AP)-- A grieving mother says she's grateful that the Michigan Legislature has voted to prohibit young, novice drivers from talking on cell phones while behind the wheel.
Bonnie Raffaele is the mother of a 17-year-old girl who was killed in a crash while talking on her phone. Kelsey Raffaele died in January 2010 near her home in Sault Ste. Marie.
The state Senate approved the bill last spring, and it cleared the House just a few hours before adjournment this month. It's called Kelsey's Law. Governor Rick Snyder said Friday he'll probably sign it.
It applies to probationary drivers with Level 1 or Level 2 licenses, but not to people with full driving privileges.
Raffaele says her focus is on inexperienced teens, who are especially vulnerable to such crashes.
