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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | April 2, 2024 01:40 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Rosemary M. Brown |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Distracted Driving Awareness Month - April 2024 |
| In the near future, I intend to introduce a resolution designating the month of April 2024 in Pennsylvania as “Distracted Driving Awareness Month”, which is recognized across the United States to reinforce distracted driving awareness and education, as well as to encourage safe and responsible behavior on our roadways. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “Distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving.” Examples of distracted driving include, but not limited to, texting, eating, grooming, talking to passengers, etc. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation maintains and publishes crash data, including distracted driving crashes. In 2021, there were 12,703 crashes involving a distracted driver. Additionally, from 2017-2021, there were 274 fatalities in crashes involving a distracted driver or an average of 58 fatalities per year – a statistic that has remained relatively stagnant in this period. While these statistics are guides, it has been documented that many drivers will not admit to distracted driving, causing these statistics to be lower than in reality. Distracted driving contributed to 10.7 percent of all crashes in Pennsylvania in 2021. While 10.7 percent might not seem like a high number, keep in mind that every one of those accidents could have been prevented. Driver distraction is a completely preventable problem, and yet it accounts for dozens of deaths in our state every year. This April, and throughout the year, please encourage safe and responsible behavior, safe driving habits and remember the dangers posed by distracted driving whether you are a driver or a passenger. Please join me in cosponsoring this resolution to help advance public education and outreach on distracted driving and to improve traffic safety throughout the Commonwealth’s transportation system. If you have any questions, please contact Christine Zubeck in my office at 717-787-6123 or czubeck@pasen.gov. Thank you for your consideration. |
Introduced as SR278