Mich. Comp. Laws » Michigan Compiled Laws / Chapter 257 / Act 300 of 1949
Michigan Compiled Laws

Mich. Comp. Laws § 257.643 (2026)

Distance between vehicles; violation as civil infraction.

✓ current as of July 2026
Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section MI-LEGlegislature.mi.gov JustiaChapter on Justia CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar

MICHIGAN VEHICLE CODE


Act 300 of 1949


257.643 Distance between vehicles; violation as civil infraction.

Sec. 643.

    (1) The operator of a motor vehicle shall not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard for the speed of the vehicles and the traffic upon and the condition of the highway.

    (2) Except as provided in subsection (4), a person shall not operate a motor vehicle with a gross weight, loaded or unloaded, in excess of 5,000 pounds outside the corporate limits of a city or village, within 500 feet of a like vehicle described in this subsection, moving in the same direction, except when overtaking and passing the vehicle.

    (3) Except as provided in subsection (4), a distance of not less than 500 feet shall be maintained between 2 or more driven vehicles being delivered from 1 place to another.

    (4) Subsections (2) and (3) do not apply to a vehicle in a platoon.

    (5) A person who violates this section is responsible for a civil infraction.

History: 1949, Act 300, Eff. Sept. 23, 1949 ;-- Am. 1978, Act 510, Eff. Aug. 1, 1979 ;-- Am. 2016, Act 332, Imd. Eff. Dec. 9, 2016

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 20 cases (5 in the last 5 years), 1961–2026 · leading case: Zeni v. Anderson, 243 N.W.2d 270 (Mich. 1976).
Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment
Zeni v. Anderson, 243 N.W.2d 270 (Mich. 1976). · cites it 2× “2327, the assured clear distance statute, as well as MCLA 257.643; MSA 9.2343 [16] and MCLA 257.”
Garrigan v. LaSalle Coca-Cola Bottling Co., 106 N.W.2d 807 (Mich. 1961). · cites it 2× “2327]) [7] and the statutory inhibition against following "another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent" (CLS 1956, § 257.643 [Stat Ann 1960 Rev § 9.2343]), plaintiff's testified failure to safely increase the driving space between the southbound trucks of the…”
United States v. Culp, 860 F. Supp. 2d 459 (W.D. Mich. 2012). · cites it 7× “Gillespie determined that the Mountaineer was following another vehicle, an otherwise unidentified car, “dangerously close,” constituting a “following too close violation” under Michigan law, Mich. Comp. Laws § 257.643 (1). Gillespie proceeded out of the turnaround and east in…”
Lucas v. Carson, 196 N.W.2d 819 (Mich. Ct. App. 1972). · cites it 2× “2327 (assured clear distance statute); MCLA 257.643; MSA 9.2343 (following too closely); and MCLA 257.”
Hill v. Wilson, 531 N.W.2d 744 (Mich. Ct. App. 1995). “free of oncoming traffic for a sufficient distance ahead to permit the overtaking and passing to be completely made without interfering with the safe operation” of other vehicles.”
Hendershot v. Kelly, 160 N.W.2d 740 (Mich. Ct. App. 1968). “} traveling at a speed of 20 miles per hour at a distance of 1-1/2 car lengths (approximately 26 feet) behind the unidentified Chevrolet thereby violating as a matter of law CLS 1961, § 257.643 (Stat Ann 1960 Rev § 9.2343), 1 and CLS 1961, § 257.”
Houck v. Snyder, 134 N.W.2d 689 (Mich. 1965). · cites it 4× “[6] CLS 1961, § 257.643 (Stat Ann 1960 Rev § 9.2343). [7] CLS 1961, § 257.”
United States v. Sosa, 104 F. Supp. 2d 722 (E.D. Mich. 2000). “§ 257.643. 5 Although the troopers knew of Sosa’s suspected drug activity, which then became the impetus for locating Sosa’s LaSabre and following him, the troopers stopped the LaSabre only after Sosa committed traffic violations.”
Reed v. Stretten, 245 N.W.2d 117 (Mich. Ct. App. 1976). “2327 (assured clear distance statute), MCLA 257.643; MSA 9.2343 (statute requiring reasonable and prudent manner of following another vehicle).”
Cox v. LaLonde, 300 N.W.2d 564 (Mich. Ct. App. 1980). “While plaintiffs made a specific objection to the verdict form, no objection to the court’s inclusion of a special interrogatory on serious impairment of bodily function, as is raised here, was raised at trial.”
Poplawski v. Huron Clinton Metro. Auth., 260 N.W.2d 890 (Mich. Ct. App. 1977). “2327 (the assured clear distance statute) and MCLA 257.643; MSA 9.2343 (the "following-too-closely” statute).”
Fischer v. United States (E.D. Mich. 2022). · cites it 3× “Michigan Compiled Laws § 257.643 requires rear drivers not to follow front drivers too closely as follows: The operator of a motor vehicle shall not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard for the speed of the vehicles and the…”
Show all 20 citing cases →
— Mich. Comp. Laws § 257.643(1) — 4 cases
Hill v. Wilson, 531 N.W.2d 744 (Mich. Ct. App. 1995). “free of oncoming traffic for a sufficient distance ahead to permit the overtaking and passing to be completely made without interfering with the safe operation” of other vehicles.”
United States v. Culp, 860 F. Supp. 2d 459 (W.D. Mich. 2012). “Gillespie determined that the Mountaineer was following another vehicle, an otherwise unidentified car, “dangerously close,” constituting a “following too close violation” under Michigan law, Mich. Comp. Laws § 257.643 (1). Gillespie proceeded out of the turnaround and east in…”
Phillip Struble v. Adam Rogers (Mich. Ct. App. 2024).
Darcy Weidman v. Home-Owners Ins. Co. (Mich. Ct. App. 2026).
— Mich. Comp. Laws § 257.643(a) — 2 cases
Cox v. LaLonde, 300 N.W.2d 564 (Mich. Ct. App. 1980). “While plaintiffs made a specific objection to the verdict form, no objection to the court’s inclusion of a special interrogatory on serious impairment of bodily function, as is raised here, was raised at trial.”
Laur v. McCaul, 197 N.W.2d 481 (Mich. Ct. App. 1972).
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.