Bill > HB4188

This bill modifies the Michigan Vehicle Code by changing the language around careless or negligent vehicle operation from a criminal to a civil offense. Specifically, the bill replaces the term "person" with "individual" and removes the reference to frozen public lakes, streams, and ponds as potential locations for the infraction. The bill maintains that operating a vehicle on a highway or other public place (including parking areas) in a careless or negligent manner that could potentially endanger people or property, but without demonstrating wantonness or recklessness, will be treated as a civil infraction. The changes appear to slightly refine the legal terminology and scope of the existing law while preserving its core intent of penalizing unsafe driving behavior. The bill will take effect 90 days after being enacted into law, which provides a standard transition period for law enforcement and the public to become aware of the modification.

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https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2025-HB-4188