If Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer, and if store shelves are already loaded with Halloween candy, costumes and decorations, can the winter holidays be far behind? (105 days till Christmas for those who are counting.)

A familiar sight during every holiday season is individuals stationed at well-travelled intersections soliciting charitable contributions. Thanks to recent amendments to the Michigan Vehicle Code, charitable and civic organizations that use this method to solicit funds will find fewer road blocks in their way (pun intended).

While Michigan law generally prohibits individuals from impeding traffic by standing in a roadway, that prohibition will no longer apply to individuals soliciting contributions on behalf of charitable or civic organizations during daylight hours as long as certain conditions are satisfied. The new law further provides that a local authority having jurisdiction over a roadway is not liable for any damages or injuries arising out of the use of that roadway for solicitations.

If your organization uses this method to solicit donations, you need to be familiar with this new law, which can be found here.