Distracted Driving

 A bill to combat distracted driving is once again before the Pennsylvania legislature.  However, this 2011 bill is not the same as the bill presented by Representative Markosek, and defeated by the House, in 2010.  The 2011 Pennsylvania distracted driving bill introduced by Representative Markosek makes driving while using a handheld cell phone a secondary offense – not a primary offense like it was in the 2010 bill.

If this bill becomes law in Pennsylvania, a police officer would not be able to pull over and ticket a driver for using a cell phone unless the driver was being pulled over for a primary driving offense such as speeding or running a red light.

Pennsylvania is currently one of only nine states without any kind of law against using a cell phone while driving.  Lawmakers have introduced this bill in the hopes that it will be easier to pass than the 2010 bill. However, will a law that makes using a cell phone while driving a secondary offense have any kind of effect?

Other bills have been introduced by other state representatives that would make using a cell phone while driving a primary offense and that specifically address the problem of texting and driving.

 Our Pennsylvania accident lawyers will continue to monitor the different bills and report on any new legislation.

Last Friday a new ordinance went into effect in Bensalem.   The ordinance, which went into effect on Friday February 4, 2011, prohibits hand held cell phone use.  Drivers face potential fines of $150 – $300 for violating the ordinance.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, distracted driving is responsible for thousands of accidents every year and many injuries and fatalities.    More than half of the states currently have statewide laws prohibited texting while driving, cell phone use while driving, or both.  Pennsylvania does not have such a law.

Several municipalities have enacted local ordinances.  In addition to Bensalem, bans are currently in place in Allentown, Philadelphia, Erie and Harrisburg.  There is some concern that these laws may be challenged and found to be preempted by the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Code.

Do you think Pennsylvania has done enough to prevent distracted driving accidents?  Leave us a comment and let us know.

Last week John Luciew wrote an interesting piece in The Patriot News.  The article about distracted driving raised a lot of interesting points and statistics.  However, there was one important point of Mr. Luciew’s article that is not commonly discussed and that I believe is important.

Specifically, I was struck by Mr. Luciew’s interview of a driving school teacher.  In that interview, the driving school teacher discusses the lack of basic driving knowledge among today’s teenagers. 

Why do today’s driver’s education students lack the knowledge of previous generations?  The article suggests that it is because of technology.  Not only are teens distracted when they get behind the wheel, they’ve been distracted passengers for many years before applying for a license. 

Today’s teenagers have been watching TV in the back of minivans, playing on their game systems in the middle of their SUVs and texting their friends from the front seat of their sedans.  They have not been paying attention to their parents driving habits.  They have not been paying attention to the road.

Don’t let a distracted passenger become a distracted driver.  Talk to your child about safe driving and about the rules of the road.  Encourage your child to watch your safe driving habits.  You will be glad that you did.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), AAA and Seventeen Magazine have teamed up to create a video contest that will end this Friday.  The National Two-Second Turnoff Day Viral Video Challenge, which runs from August 2 – September 10, 2010, is designed to raise awareness about the dangers of texting and driving among young drivers.

 If you are a teenager who would like to participate, you need to create a video to combat distracted driving and upload it to www.seventeen.com/twosecond. The winner’s video will be shared at the DOT’s second annual distracted driving summit on September 21, and be featured on websites for Seventeen Magazine, AAA and the DOT.  The winner will also receive a $2,000 cash prize.

 This contest is meant to be a fun way to combat a serious problem.  In addition to the contest prizes described above, teenagers are provided with a real and meaningful way to learn about the dangers of distracted driving and to save lives.