April 1 marks the beginning of Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
DETROIT – Kiefer Foundation Chairman Steve Kiefer announced his retirement from General Motors to focus on his mission to end distracted driving. Today marks not only the beginning of Distracted Driving Awareness Month, but also Steve’s first day leading the Kiefer Foundation full-time.
“I’ve dedicated my working life thus far to the automotive industry, now I intend to focus on my passion – saving lives on the road,” said Kiefer. “This is not a passion I chose, but one that was thrust upon me by the loss of my son, Mitchel. Mitchel’s death in a distracted driving crash changed my life forever, and I want to work towards a future where no parent has to bury a child as a result of a preventable car crash.”
The Kiefer Foundation was established in memory of Steve’s son, Mitchel Kiefer, who was killed by a distracted driver on September 19, 2016. The Kiefer Foundation has three pillars to support its mission: awareness, public policy and technology. Kiefer plans to tackle each area globally, including his home state of Michigan: advocating for the Michigan Senate to pass the pending three-bill package (HBs 4277, 4278, 4279) to increase penalties and encourage utilization of hands-free technology.
“We have launched the national #JustDrive campaign, with the goal to have laws in every state and internationally to ban driving while holding a mobile device,” said Kiefer. “My sole focus is to save lives, in Mitchel’s honor.”
CONTACT: Andrea Bitely, 517-256-0665
Visit The Kiefer Foundation on social media at Facebook or Twitter.
Learn more about Hands Free Michigan at https://handsfreemichigan.org/.