Detroit is named ‘Motor City’ for a region. This northern metropolis was the birthplace of American’s car industry – it played home to some of the largest auto manufacturing plants in the world. For this reason, cars have always been synonymous with the city of Detroit.

And while plenty of people in Detroit have worked in the motor-industry, most of the city also drives their own vehicles. If you want to drive in the city, you’ll need to have insurance. Check out our top tips for getting the cheapest insurance in Detroit and get a quote today!

Detroit: Driving Conditions in the City

If you live in Detroit, there are a number of hazards that you have to contend with when you’re driving. Because of the snow and harsh conditions in the winter, driving in Detroit can be quite treacherous at certain times of year. While winter poses the biggest risk to people driving in Detroit, summer can also be dangerous because of large thunderstorms and hail issues. It’s important to always be aware of the weather conditions if you own a vehicle in Detroit – never drive if it’s too dangerous and pay attention to local road warnings.

Driving Safety Laws in Detroit, Michigan

If you’re going to operate a vehicle in Detroit, it’s always important to be aware of the different safety laws. Not only will this protect you from harm, it will also ensure that you don’t get into any trouble with the law – fines can be expensive! Check out the top safety laws in Detroit below:

Phone/Handheld Law in Detroit

Detroit has strict laws against the use of mobile telephones and other devices while you’re driving within the city limits. You are not allowed to use a mobile device while you’re driving within the city. Michigan the state also bans texting while driving, but this is a looser law than the law in Detroit. Make sure not to use your phone for texting or calling if you’re in the city of Detroit. Furthermore, using your phone while driving is a dangerous habit and can result in death or harm to you, passengers, and other people on the road.

Seatbelt and Car Seat Laws in Detroit

If you’re in the front seat or driver’s seat of a vehicle in Michigan, you must be wearing a seatbelt. In addition, if you’re between the ages of 8 and 15 you must have a seat belt on no matter where you are sitting within the vehicle.

In term of car seats, all persons under the age of four must be in a car seat. They must also have the car seat in the rear of the vehicle. If all seats are taken, you can use the front seat for a car seat but the airbag must be disabled for this to be legal. In addition, booster seats are required for children under 8 or the height of 4’ 9”.

Helmet Laws in Detroit

While this applies to motorcycles, it’s also important to be aware of helmet laws in Detroit. If you’re under the age of 21, you must wear a helmet while operating a motorcycle in Michigan. If you’re over the age of 21, have $20,000 in medical coverage for yourself, and have had a motorcycle license for two years, you can go without a helmet. If you have had your motorcycle license for less than two years, but you’re over the age of 21 and have passed a safety test, you can also go without a helmet. This being said, riding a motorcycle without a helmet is extremely dangerous.

Alcohol and Drug Laws (Driving)

In Michigan, there are a variety of different impaired driving categories. We’ll take a look at them below:

• OWI – Operating a vehicle while intoxicated. This means that you are operating a vehicle while having a blood alcohol content of .08 or above.
• OWVI – Operating a vehicle while visibly impaired. This means that you are operating a vehicle while it is visible clear that you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
• If you’re under the age of 21, it is also illegal to operate a vehicle with a blood alcohol content level of .02 to .07.
• OWPD – Operating with a schedule one drug in your system. While you might not be currently under the influence of a schedule one drug, you can still get in trouble for operating a vehicle with small traces of these drugs in your body.

The penalties for breaking the above laws can be extremely severe. There are a variety of mandatory license suspensions, even if you have never been in trouble for a similar issue. You can even go to jail or pay large fines if it’s your first offense. If you are a repeat offender, punishments can be extremely large, including long prison sentences. Keep in mind, you could also end up committing other crimes, such as manslaughter, while under the influence of these drugs or alcohol. You will also have to get a specific type of insurance called SR22 which will certainly cost you more.

Detroit Statistics

In the state of Michigan, there were over 300,000 accidents in the year of 2017. Out of these accidents, over 75,000 people were injured. There was a total of 1,028 fatalities from traffic crashes in the same year. As you can see, it’s important to be careful on roads in Michigan and Detroit.

Verdict

As you can see there are plenty of laws that you need to be aware of if you want to drive in the city of Detroit. If you want to be as responsible of a driver as possible, make sure that you’re aware of the laws and abide by them as strictly as possible. You don’t want to put you or your passengers at risk of an accident or collision.

While you can do as much as possible to reduce your risks on the road and obey the laws, accidents can still happen. That’s why it’s important to protect yourself with a solid auto insurance plan. There are plenty of cheap insurance companies that offer cheap car insurance in Michigan that can help you protect yourself against the financial costs of an accident or issue with your vehicle. Make sure to check them out on our website!