Rep. Engel - Driving Distracted a Threat to All of Us

Press Release

Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY-17) applauded the National Transportation Safety Board for its call for a nationwide ban on the use of cell phones and text messaging devices while driving. The ban would not apply to hand-free devices or to passengers. Rep. Engel is the author of H.R. 1772, the Distracted Driving Prevention Act - legislation to eliminate the dangerous practices of driving while texting, e-mailing or talking on a non-hands-free cell phone. Rep. Engel's legislation is identical to a measure introduced in the Senate by Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV).

"I am very pleased to see the NTSB call for exactly what my legislation is designed to do -- save American lives. In 2008, almost 20 percent of all crashes involved some type of distraction, resulting in nearly 6,000 fatalities and over 500,000 injuries," said Rep. Engel. "We all use one or more electronic devices as part of our daily lives. But these devices require our full attention, and clearly remove the focus of a driver from where it should be -- on the road. This not only puts the driver and passengers at risk, but risks the lives of other motorists and pedestrians as well."

Rep. Engel said that "Secretary Ray LaHood has called distracted driving a deadly epidemic and I agree." Rep. Engel's legislation would fund driver education and highway signage, two programs instrumental in reducing driving under the influence (DWI) incidents, and increasing the use of seat belts. The "click it, or ticket" campaign on seat belt use accomplished a great deal towards providing awareness to the dangers of driving without a seat belt. This legislation works towards a similar goal.

Rep. Engel's legislation would codify the same principles outlined in the proposed ban, and go even further. The new NTSB suggested ban would need to be adopted by states, while Rep. Engel's bill would make it a federal law, requiring states to comply. It would essentially outlaw non-emergency phone calls and texting by operators of every vehicle on the road.

Other statistics regarding distracted driving -- which can be found, along with other information at www.distraction.gov:

* Inexperienced drivers under 20 years of age have the highest proportion of distraction-related fatal crashes
* Drivers using hand-held devices are four times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves
* Using a cell phone while driving -- hand-held or hands-free -- delays a driver's reactions as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent. In fact, some other studies indicate distracted driving poses more of a threat than some levels of drunk driving.

Rep. Engel added, "You think it would be common sense to focus on your driving rather than on typing on a tiny keypad. However, we all know that is not the case, and this legislation would simply help save lives. Sadly, incidents of texting while driving accidents continue daily. I urge my colleagues to support it."

Rep. Engel's bill would also create a national advertising campaign, administered by the NHTSA, to educate the public on the dangers of distracted driving. While texting is the most disturbing method of distracted driving because it requires the driver to be involved visually, manually and cognitively, other potentially dangerous practices include:

* Using a cell phone
* Eating and drinking
* Talking to passengers
* Grooming
* Reading, including maps
* Using a PDA or navigation system
* Watching a video
* Changing the radio station, CD or Mp3 player.

New York State has already passed a comprehensive ban on using cell phones and mobile devices while driving. It is illegal for drivers to use handheld electronic devices while their vehicle is in motion, and cell phone use requires a hands-free device. Rep. Engel's legislation would bring a New York-style law to the nation.

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