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COLUMN |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State Rep.
Nick Kotik |
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May 2009
LEGISLATIVE ROUNDUP
I’m sure most of you have seen it. A car swerves all over the road, speeds up, slows down, swerves some more. As you drive by, you glance over and see the driver on a cell phone, texting, putting on make-up, eating, or reading -- doing everything other than driving.
People behind the wheel who let distractions impair their driving are a serious hazard on the road. They have sparked a public outcry for laws to limit these distractions. Recently, the House of Representatives passed a bill to help do exactly this.
This bill would:
· ban teens and young adults with learner's permits or junior licenses from using cell phones or sending text messages while driving, unless they are dialing 911;
· mandate an additional 15 hours of driving practice requirements for those with a learner’s permit;
· make driving without a seat belt a primary offense for junior licensed drivers; and
· give authorities the ability to fine any driver who is cited for reckless driving an additional $50 if it is determined the driver was distracted due to a cell phone, texting, eating, grooming, or reading.
Although this bill was passed by the House, it still must be passed by the Senate before becoming law.
While I joined the House in voting for this legislation, I still feel it is incomplete. It still does not ban the use of hand-held cell phones for all drivers. I voted for such a measure during debate on the bill, but it was defeated.
However, this bill would establish a foundation for young drivers so they would be less inclined to use these devices once they get a regular driver’s license.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Virginia Tech, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of Utah, drivers who talk on their cell phones are three to four times more likely to be involved in a crash. In Pennsylvania alone, hand-held cell phones contributed to 1,245 crashes on our state’s highways in 2007. There were only 56 crashes that were attributed to hands-free cell phones during that same year.
Clearly, hand-held cell phones are a considerable hazard on the road, which is why I supported an amendment that would have banned the general use of hand-held cell phones while driving on all public roads in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, this amendment was defeated. It would have allowed authorities to issue a summary offense if a driver was caught using a hand-held device. If convicted, the person would have paid a $50 fine, but no points would have been assessed to his driving record. Exceptions would have been made for law enforcement officials, drivers of mass transit vehicles, operators of emergency vehicles when on duty, or motorists making 511 or 911 emergency calls.
Although the amendment did not pass, I am encouraging fellow lawmakers to revisit this issue and to reconsider this measure in the future. A ban on hand-held cell phones is an important part of making our roads safer.
In the meantime, if you have questions or comments on this legislation, or the issue of safe driving in general, please contact me.
As always, you may stop by or call my Coraopolis office at 412-264-4260, or my Carnegie office at 412-429-5091, to talk to me or someone on my staff. I encourage all input on this issue.
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