Op-Ed: Taking Action to Prevent Distracted Driving

By State Representative Geraldo Alicea

Portable technologies such as cell phones and text messaging devices have become a commonplace fixture in our everyday lives. Incidents of distracted driving have risen to unprecedented levels across our nation. According to the United States Department of Transportation, in 2008, at any given time during the day there were more than 800,000 drivers using hand-held devices while driving. These and other troublesome statistics have compelled many legislators across the country to take action and work to prevent this growing trend.

I am pleased to report that both the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate have passed comprehensive legislation to promote safe driving in the Commonwealth. The safe driving bill will ban texting while driving and establish new requirements that seek to deter distracted driving in the Commonwealth. One of my top priorities has always been public safety; I believe it is extremely important to ensure that Massachusetts has strong, comprehensive driving laws on the books in order to promote safe driving habits. Six states have already passed laws to ban hand-held cell phone use for drivers, while twenty-five states have passed laws that ban texting while driving. Ultimately, I felt it was time for Massachusetts to follow suit. 

In the beginning of the 2009-2010 legislative session, I filed legislation that explicitly bans junior operators from using mobile devices while driving. Empirical data reveals that junior operators not only use their cell phones and text messaging devices behind the wheel more frequently than any other age group, but they also comprise the highest proportion of distraction-related fatal car crashes. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety status report, one in four American teens of driving age say they have texted while driving, and nearly half of all teens ages 12 to 17 say they’ve been a passenger while a driver has texted behind the wheel. 

In October of 2007, I became acutely aware of this dangerous trend among young drivers after a fatal car accident involving a local teen took place in our community. According to the authorities, the Bay Path Vocational Technical High School senior was sending a text message when the car she was driving veered off the road and hit a tree. The entire community was deeply affected by this terrible tragedy and it was a major reason why I felt compelled to file the bill in the first place. 

My proposal to ban operators under the age of 18 from using any type of mobile device while driving was included in the final version of the safe driving legislation. House Bill 4795, An Act Relative to Safe Driving, was enacted in both the House of Representatives and the Senate on June 24, 2010. In addition to prohibiting junior operators from using cell phones while driving, the bill also bans texting while driving for all motorists. 

Ultimately, the solution to the problem of distracted driving lies in the ability of each of us to take responsibility for our own well being and the well being of others. We need to understand that our actions behind the wheel affect everyone around us. Normally, I do not believe that elected officials should be involved in legislating common sense practices. However, given the many disturbing statistics and the rapid emergence of this problem among drivers, in addition to the deeply personal and tragic consequences that this problem has rendered within my own community, I have grown convinced that some sort of legislative action is necessary. 

It is clear that the issue of cell phone use while driving, especially among young folks, has become a major transportation security threat. I feel that it is my responsibility as your state legislator to do what I can to minimize this threat, which is why I am pleased to have joined my colleagues in enacting this imperative piece of legislation. In passing this bill, we will help encourage safer driving habits throughout the Commonwealth and may prevent future tragedies from occurring.