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The tragic loss of a family becomes a mission to put an end to careless driving

Carol Cain
| Free Press business columnist

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Steve Kiefer had years of experience dealing with heads of state and government in South America, Europe, India, Australia and the Middle East, and was often involved in contentious issues that he helped resolve as president of General Motors' international division.

Still, Kiefer told me this week he was surprised by the amount of effort, work and, yes, diplomacy he had to put in as he worked with politicians, business people and community leaders across the country to help states enact distracted driving or hands-free driving laws.

“This has been much more difficult than I ever imagined,” he said. “I never expected the kind of resistance we would face, especially for something that affects us all and saves lives.”

Kiefer, founder and CEO of the Kiefer Foundation, a nonprofit based in Plymouth, retired from GM two years ago and has since gone full throttle to help states pass distracted driving laws.

He hopes to spare other parents the heartache he and his family experienced eight years ago when his 18-year-old son, Mitchel, was driving from their Northville home back to Michigan State University in September 2016. His car was struck from behind by another vehicle driven by a college student who was on his phone and hadn't realized that traffic had come to a standstill on Interstate 96 outside of Lansing.

“The driver was going 84 miles per hour when she hit Mitchel's car, sending it flying across the median into oncoming traffic,” he told me. “His car was struck by a truck and he was killed instantly.”

Although Kiefer spent his career at GM, he didn't realize how big the distracted driving problem was. He, too, was guilty of not always paying attention behind the wheel.

“I'll be the first to admit that I drove my Corvette with my phone in one hand and a coffee in the other, steering with my knee and quickly checking my text messages on the highway without thinking twice,” he said. “That changed after Mitchel died.”

Even quickly reading or sending a text message for just five seconds at 55 mph is equivalent to running the length of a football field with your eyes closed, according to NHTSA statistics.

According to NHTSA, 3,308 people died in traffic crashes involving inattentive drivers in the United States in 2022, and an estimated 289,310 people were injured. Some say these numbers are actually much higher because the causes of crashes are not always fully or accurately reported.

Currently, 31 states have passed hands-free laws prohibiting holding a mobile device while driving. The Kiefer Foundation has been involved in efforts in 17 states. Michigan passed its law in June 2023, with Kiefer working with legislators, AAA Michigan, the Detroit Regional Chamber and others.

“Passing these laws is extremely complex and challenging,” said Glenn Stevens Jr., executive director of MICHauto, which was involved in the initiative. “It takes an incredible mix of passion, determination and persuasion to make such an important and life-saving change in policy and human behavior. Steve is the type of person who embodies these things and will not give up until all 50 states have these laws.”

Along the way, Kiefer enlisted the help of some big names to help drive the discussion nationally, including former NFL quarterback Tom Brady, GM CEO Mary Barra, Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman and actor Mark Wahlberg, who appeared in PSAs or spoke out on social media about the issue.

Kiefer is now turning to technology as the foundation works with Plymouth-based Innovation Works on a new simulator that will provide an immersive, hands-on experience in a safe, virtual environment and educate drivers of all ages about the dangers of distractions on the road. He hopes to have the final version ready by early 2025.

I was curious about his thoughts on getting more states to pass laws.

“A significant challenge is dealing with concerns about personal freedoms, as some people feel that these laws represent government overreach because they believe they should be able to make their own choices when driving,” he said.

Finally, I asked him what he thought Mitchel would say about all this.

“I think he would be proud of the foundation, but also a little embarrassed,” he said. “He was a person who never wanted to be in the spotlight. We can imagine him shaking his head, a little overwhelmed by the attention, because he knows it makes a difference, because it saves lives.”

More: Michigan House of Representatives passes bill banning hands-free driving, social media posting and driving

More: Mary Barra is involved in a campaign to get people to put their cell phones away while driving

More: Neal Rubin: Michigan father behind new distracted driving laws isn't done yet

Contact Carol Cain: 248-355-7126 or [email protected]. She is executive producer/host of “Michigan Matters,” which airs this Sunday at 5:30 on CBS Detroit. (It will not air this Sunday on Detroit 50 WKBD). See Dr. Marshall Runge, CEO of Michigan Medicine/Dean of UM Medical School and Aaron Dworkin, founder of the Sphinx Organization, on this Sunday's show. You can watch Michigan Matters on Fubu, Pluto TV, YoutubeTV and Apple TV, where those two networks appear in the schedule.

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