Michigan's roads are about to get a whole lot stricter when it comes to handling your cell phone behind the wheel. Statewide, officers are ramping up the heat on distracted drivers as National Distracted Driving Awareness Month kicks off this April, with the intent to enforce the hands-free law to the letter.

Starting in April, cops are going to be extra vigilant. According to a piece by CBS Detroit, local Michiganders better mount those phones or keep them pocketed unless they're dialing 911. Violate this, and you're looking at a $100 slap for the first offense or 16 hours picking up trash or whatever community service the court fancies. Do it again? That'll be $250, thank you, or 24 hours of good deeds. And if you're really persistent, three strikes and you're off to driving school.

What's really no joke is if you crash while you're swiping left or checking your stocks or posting your lunch on Insta. Katie Bower, director of the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning, spelled it out for CBS Detroit: fines double. And she's all about the less talking, more driving. "Any activity that takes your eyes off the road and your hands off the wheel is extremely reckless and puts you and other roadway users at risk," Bower said.

Now, let's talk hard facts – Michigan crash data kicked up a storm with 15,441 crashes pegged to distracted driving in the previous year, with over 50 being fatal, as reported by mlive. Cops have already been busy bees with numbers from the sixth district of the Michigan State Police showing they've handed out 80 citations and given 58 verbal slaps on the wrist so far this year, as per woodtv. Expect that tally to climb when April's enforcement push goes into full swing.

Officers like MSP Sgt. Casey Trucks are making it clear – it's zero excuses time. Riding along with News 8, Trucks shared, "Before [the law], it seemed like every other car you drove past, somebody had it in their hand, so I do think the law is working." And MSP Lt. Michelle Robinson points to the timing of the campaign as critical, especially with construction season on the horizon and the greater need for driver awareness.

So Michigan, it's time to wise up and keep those phones down. Come April, the mantra is clear: eyes on the road, hands on the wheel, and minds on making it home safe.