Wednesday, September 12, 2007
By Tom Barnes, Post-Gazette Harrisburg Bureau

HARRISBURG — Suddenly, some state legislators almost want to ride along in your car to make you a safer driver.

Rep. Katharine Watson, R-Bucks, got a bill through the House Transportation Committee this week that would prevent junior drivers, those ages 16 and 17, from carrying more than one passenger at a time in their cars. It would also let police stop and cite these young drivers if they travel without seat belts.

Now, state Sen. Jim Ferlo, D-Highland Park, wants to go a step further, preventing motorists of all ages from talking on, or sending text messages from, hand-held cell phones while they’re driving.

Mr. Ferlo’s bill would permit drivers to make calls using hands-free technology, such as speakerphones or ear-piece microphones.

Mr. Ferlo said yesterday that the wonders of modern mobile technology “are making us more accessible, connected and productive” than ever before. But they’re also causing “a hazardous situation on our roadways.”

Some critics of such bills complain the Legislature is going overboard with “nanny government,” unnecessarily restricting people in their cars.

But Mr. Ferlo pointed to information about “distracted driving” from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It contends that “distractions,” such as cell phones, contribute to 20 percent to 30 percent of all traffic accidents. Mrs. Watson said having too many passengers in a car while a 16- or 17-year-old is driving is another serious distraction.

Washington state and New York now ban hand-held cell phones while a person is driving and other states are considering the move. Some states allow municipalities to enact local laws banning hand-held cell phones for drivers.

Mr. Ferlo and Mrs. Watson agreed that “teenagers are an already high risk group for being involved in accidents with multiple victims.” Since teens are also frequent users of cell phones and text messaging, “you have a recipe for disaster,” Mr. Ferlo said.

He noted a recent horrible accident in western New York where five teens died and cell phone use was a major contributing factor. Mrs. Watson said there were two tragic accidents in her county last year, where drivers were distracted by chatty passengers. Three teens died in one crash and two others in another.

Mr. Ferlo said that currently, “we can only sneer and swear when we see a person holding up traffic” because they are busy talking on a cell phone.

“If a phone call or text message absolutely needs to be sent [while driving], this bill requires that it take place after the vehicle is parked in a safe location off the roadway,” he said.

The reception to these bills in the Legislature could be problematic, however. Some legislators fear a voter backlash if they go too far in regulating a person’s private behavior.

First published on September 12, 2007 at 12:00 am
Bureau Chief Tom Barnes can be reached at tbarnes@post-gazette or 1-717-787-4254.