Monday, October 15, 2007
By Tom Barnes, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

HARRISBURG — Four more legislators have come up with restrictive proposals aimed at keeping you alive when you drive you car.

The bills are lumped together under the heading of “preventing distracted driving.” The House Transportation Committee had an extensive hearing on them today but didn’t vote on them.

State Rep. Josh Shapiro, D-Montgomery, is pushing House Bill 1827, to outlaw the use of hand-held cell phones by motorists.

PennDOT statistics show there were 5,715 accidents linked to the use of hand-held phones in Pennsylvania from 2002 to 2006, he said. He would permit hands-free mobile phones, such as a Bluetooth, even though PennDOT statistics also show there were 367 accidents during the same period involving hand-free phones.

Rep. Eugene DePasquale, D-York, wants to prohibit drivers from sending text messages on their cell phones or Blackberries while driving. His bill is House Bill 1506.

“Nothing bothers me more than seeing teen drivers using their elbows to steer while texting,” said Rep. Rick Geist, R-Altoona.

“Sometimes they also use their knees” to steer, added Rep. Kate Harper, R-Montgomery.

“Knees and elbows? Good Lord,” added Rep. Kathy Watson, R-Bucks, who has previously introduced a bill to limit 16- and 17-year old drivers to having only one teenage passenger in a car at a time.

Mrs. Watson, who is about 50, quipped that “old people,” including herself, know how to send text messages too, but never while driving.

Rep. Bill Kortz, D-Dravosburg, has introduced House Bill 1549, which would affect school bus drivers. They would be forbidden to consuming food or beverages, or use a cell phone, while driving their bus.

The broadest attack on “distracted driving” is being waged by Rep. Christopher Ross, R-Chester. His House Bill 698 would make it an offense for a motorist to become distracted because of “the use of electronic, electrical or mechanical device, personal grooming devices, food, drink, (reading a ) book or printed material.”

Under the heading of potential distractions for drivers, it lists “a radio, recording and playback device (such as a compact disc), telephonic device, citizens band radio, television, computer and any other device.” Grooming devices include hair dryers or mirrors, which some drivers use to groom themselves while driving to work.

Being seen using such devices would, however, be classified as a “secondary offense,” meaning a police officer couldn’t stop a driver merely if he sees him changing a CD, eating or reading a newspaper while driving. The motorist would have to first be pulled over for a primary offense, such as running a red light or speeding.

Some legislators fear that such bills constitute “nanny government,” meaning an unwarranted governmental invasion into drivers’ privacy. But Mr. Shapiro said something needs to be done because a study by Virginia Tech University and a federal traffic agency showed that “driver inattention is the No. 1 factor in causing crashes.”

State Sen. Jim Ferlo, D-Highland Park, also has introduced a bill to ball cell phone use while driving.

Since enacting such bills could anger some members of the public, there is a political risk, and it isn’t known when any of these bills will come up for a vote.

More details in tomorrow’s Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

First published on October 15, 2007 at 12:54 pm