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EDITORIAL |
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CONTACT:
Lauren Rooney |
State Rep. Josh Shapiro |
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To: Pocono Record Editorial Board
From: State Representative Josh Shapiro, D-Montgomery
Subject: Disconnecting drivers from their cell phones
Please consider the following response to a Dec. 6 Letter to the Editor (“Hands-free cell phones won’t make the roads any safer”) for your Editorial/Op-Ed section. If you have any questions, please contact Lauren Rooney at 717-787-7895 or by e-mail at lrooney@pahouse.net.
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A Dec. 6 letter to the editor suggested banning the use of hand-held cell phones by drivers would do little to make our roads safer. I strongly disagree.
A 2005 National Highway Transportation study found cell phones the number-one distraction for drivers, and distracted drivers are three times as likely to be involved in a crash. And according to PennDOT statistics, the use of cell phones contributed to more than 1,170 accidents in Pennsylvania in 2004 alone.
Cell phones are a dangerous distraction, and drivers are tired of sharing the road with people who have their hands on the phone instead of on the wheel. According to a National Drive for Life poll, one in three drivers said cell phone usage by other drivers is their greatest aggravation on the road.
Think of the number of accidents we could prevent, and lives we could save, by simply disconnecting Pennsylvania drivers from their hand-held cell phones.
With time running out on the 2006 legislative session, the House Rules Committee stripped the handheld cell phone ban language from a House bill and denied members a vote on this important issue. But they merely put the ban on hold, as I intend to re-introduce a bill in 2007 that would make it a primary offense to drive while on a hand-held cell phone. Hands-free head-sets would be allowed under my bill, and exceptions would be made for police and emergency vehicle drivers, and for motorists who fear for their safety or are making a 911 call.
Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, California and the District of Columbia have laws banning the use of hand-held cell phones while driving. It is time Pennsylvania drivers put down their phones, and put both hands on the wheel.
Rep. Josh Shapiro
153rd Legislative District
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