UPDATE: New Cell Phone Law for Teens Carries $200 Fine in Royal Oak

Update, 6:30 p.m.: Parents who haven't spoke to teenagers yet about "Kelsey's Law," which prohibits teen drivers from using a cell phone while driving a car, might want to consider this. Court officials at the 44th District Court in Royal Oak have set the fine for violating the new law at $200.

Under the new law, jurisdictions can set their own fine and costs, up to $295, according to a Michigan Secretary of State press release.

The high fine is intended to grab the attention of teens and their parents, according to Judge Derek Meinecke.

"The message is significant," he said. "We don't want teens on the phone when they are driving."

5 a.m.: A new Michigan law, known as "Kelsey's Law," which prohibits teen drivers from using a cell phone while driving a car, goes into to effect today.

According to the bill signed into law earlier this year, if any driver with a temporary drivers permit or a level 1 or 2 graduated license - meaning any driver under the age of 17 - is stopped for a moving violation, he or she could be cited with a civil infraction for using a cell phone. 

Royal Oak High School Principal Jim Moll said students will be reminded on Thursday of the new law in the Raven Report - both the print version and the daily video announcements.

Because the violation is a civil infraction, local municipalities will determine the fine.

"We have no organized plans to look for this violation, rather we are leaving it up to the discretion of the individual officers," said Royal Oak Police Chief Corrigan O'Donohue. "Teens should know they can be cited. We will have to wait and see if the law is effective."

O'Donohue, who has three teenagers who are driving, said he stresses to his own children the difference between "not meaning to have an accident" and "meaning not to have an accident."   

The legislation was named for a 17-year-old Sault Ste. Marie girl who died in a car crash in 2010 while she was using her cell phone.

Readers of the Royal Oak Facebook page were asked about their thoughts of law. Here are some of the responses:

• Dave Page: Does anyone know the whole story of how and why Kelsey was killed? She was a young and inexperienced driver, passing cars on a two-lane road. In the process of merging back into the lane, her car slipped and she over-corrected which led to the tragic accident. Was she on her phone, yes, but that was not what killed her. That's as BS of an excuse as guns kill people. What really killed her was being an inexperienced driver passing traffic. Just my two-cents.
• Jim McMahon: (Law) should be for all drivers.
• Heather Marie Pardo: I agree, should be for ALL, not just teens.
• Carrie Burgan: (Should be) applicable to all drivers, perhaps with teen graduated-related consequences for teens, but should be for everyone. The last three people to run me into the median or off to the shoulder were adults, from 20s to 60s.
• Jacqueline Shook Babcock: Agree ...all drivers. I see crazy stuff going on while driving.
• Colin Kirkwood Cairns: It would be better if it applied to all drivers; I have witnessed what I thought were cases of drunk driving that turned out to be people driving while a cell phone was pressed up against their ear. I have also seen people texting while driving; there should be a state law against it.

Share your thoughts in the comments section below.