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Pennsylvania House of Representatives
04/25/2024 05:18 PM
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20210&cosponId=36004
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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

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House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: July 20, 2021 11:48 AM
From: Representative Karen Boback
To: All House members
Subject: Distracted Pedestrians
 
In the near future I plan to introduce legislation that will add a penalty for: 
  • Distracted pedestrians who are using an interactive communications device and suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle which is so close to constitute a hazard; and
  • Distracted pedestrians who are using an interactive communications device while crossing a roadway at any point other than within a crosswalk and do not yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon that roadway. 
Distracted walking is a very real and serious issue. Technology has invaded our life and as a result, people have stopped paying attention to their surroundings. While the below statistics don’t reflect distracted walking alone, they do shed light on the danger’s pedestrians face.
 
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, as of 2017:
  • 5,977 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in the United States.
  • 137, 000 pedestrians were treated in emergency departments for nonfatal crash related injuries.
  • Most pedestrian deaths occur in urban areas, at non-intersection locations, and at night.
  • Pedestrians aged 65 and older accounted for 20% of all pedestrian deaths and an estimated 10% of all pedestrian injuries.
  • One in every five children under the age of 15 killed in traffic crashes were pedestrians.
 
Please join me in co-sponsoring this piece of legislation.


Introduced as HB2154