Michigan Auto Law opens $5,000 distracted driving scholarship for students

Michigan Auto Law is accepting entries through March 1, 2027 for its Kelsey’s Law Distracted Driving Awareness Scholarship, which will award four Michigan students a total of $5,000. The contest asks high school juniors and seniors to create videos or graphics aimed at reducing distracted driving, with winners announced in April 2027.

Why it matters: - Michigan continues to see a high number of distracted-driving crashes involving young drivers. - The scholarship is meant to turn student creativity into peer-to-peer safety messaging. - The program is tied to Kelsey’s Law, Michigan’s teen cell phone driving restriction.

What happened: - Michigan Auto Law is offering the 2027 Kelsey’s Law Distracted Driving Awareness Scholarship for Michigan high school juniors and seniors. - The firm is accepting applications through March 1, 2027. - Winners will be announced in April 2027 during National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. - Students must submit YouTube videos or graphics that discourage texting while driving and reduce distractions behind the wheel. - More information and applications are available at the scholarship page.

The details: - The scholarship pool totals $5,000 and will be split across four awards. - The awards include $2,000 for Best Overall submission, $1,500 for Best Video submission, $1,000 for Most Impactful submission and $500 for Best Graphic submission. - Each student may enter only one type of submission. - Entries will be judged on persuasiveness, clarity, attention-grabbing quality and creativity. - Applicants must be Michigan residents with a valid driver’s license or learner’s permit. - Finalists must provide proof of enrollment. - Students who are under 18 on April 15, 2027 must submit a parental consent form. - Scholarship funds can be used for tuition at any U.S. university, college or technical school within one year of the deadline. - Michigan Traffic Crash Facts reported that about 3,000 of the 14,018 distracted drivers involved in Michigan crashes in 2025 were ages 15 to 20. - Seven of those crashes were fatal. - Michigan crash data also showed 2,167 drivers using a cell phone at the time of a crash in 2025, including 390 drivers under age 20. - Michigan Auto Law created the scholarship in 2016 to honor Kelsey Raffaele, who died in a 2010 cell phone-related crash at age 17.

Between the lines: - The scholarship doubles as a public-awareness campaign targeted at teens, the group most likely to be influenced by their peers. - Michigan Auto Law is using a scholarship competition to reinforce its broader safety outreach around distracted driving. - Bonnie Raffaele, Kelsey’s mother, helped drive passage of Kelsey’s Law in 2013 and remains involved in the scholarship effort. - Kelsey’s Law prohibits teen drivers with a Level 1 or Level 2 graduated license from using a cell phone in any capacity while driving, including hands-free communication. - Drivers who violate the law may receive a civil infraction ticket. - Steve Gursten, attorney and owner of Michigan Auto Law, said the scholarship is intended to give Michigan students a voice in the distracted-driving conversation and encourage their peers to put phones away.

What's next: - Michigan students can continue submitting entries until March 1, 2027. - Michigan Auto Law will select and announce winners in April 2027. - The firm said scholarship funds will be applied to tuition after award recipients confirm enrollment. - Past winners have attended schools including Adrian College, Schoolcraft College, Columbia College Chicago, Michigan State University and Lansing Community College.

The bottom line: - Michigan Auto Law is betting that student-made safety messages can help curb distracted driving before more young drivers are hurt.