Drivers dialed in to distraction

Shareena Floro has noticed a lot more swerving going on.

Floro said a lot more vehicles on the roads these days are weaving one way or the other, and in nearly every instance, the driver is on a cell phone.

“I think it’s a problem,” said Floro, of Hanover Township. “It can create a very dangerous situation.”

Floro isn’t the only one to think this way. All six Luzerne County state representatives agree and they are supportive of a proposed bill that would ban use of hand-held cellular phones while driving.

Rep. Joseph Shapiro, D-Montgomery County, is sponsoring the legislation – House Bill 1827 – aimed at keeping Pennsylvania’s roads safer. Drivers would still be allowed to use hands-free devices.

Shapiro said the use of hand-held cell phones is “a dangerous distraction” that contributed to 1,241 crashes in 2006 on state roadways, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. In contrast, Shapiro said that just 60 crashes in 2006 were attributed to hands-free cell phones.

A National Highway Transportation Safety Administration study found that cell phones are the No. 1 distraction for drivers and that distracted drivers are three times as likely to be involved in a crash.

“We will save lives on our roadways by simply disconnecting Pennsylvania drivers from their hand-held cell phones,” Shapiro said.

Under the proposal, use of hand-held phones would be prohibited on all public roads. Exceptions would be afforded law-enforcement officers and operators of emergency vehicles while on duty. Leeway would also be given for drivers when they fear for their safety, are reporting an accident, or are making a 911 emergency call.

A violation would be a summary offense, and upon conviction, a person would pay a $50 fine.

Lillian Madaya of the Parsons section of Wilkes-Barre strongly supports the idea. She has first-hand knowledge of just how dangerous it can get.

“Someone almost hit us just a couple of weeks ago,” Madaya said. “My husband had to swerve out of the way of an oncoming vehicle driven by a young girl on a cell phone. That was near Denny’s right here in East End.”

Madaya and 10 of her friends are “mall walkers.” They met each other at the Wyoming Valley Mall to do their daily walking. The group’s members sip coffee and, as one said, solve all the world’s problems.

“What’s so important that these people have to be on their cell phones all the time?” Madaya asked.

Ann Kreidler of Plains Township said she recently saw a young girl driving her car and text messaging.

Ray Novak said he sees drivers pulling into traffic all the time without paying much attention to oncoming traffic.

“Almost every time I see it happen, the driver is on the phone,” Novak said. “Why don’t they just pull over and make their call? That’s what I do.”

State Rep. Phyllis Mundy, a co-sponsor of Shapiro’s bill, said cell phone use isn’t the only thing that distracts drivers.

“Maybe what we need is a distracted driver’s bill,” said Mundy, D-Kingston. “I’ve seen people driving and applying makeup, eating, changing radio stations and reading e-mails on their Blackberries. I hear all sorts of complaints about this from my constituents. Maybe we need to enhance the penalties to make people pay attention.”

Mary Beth Williams of Ashley admitted she talks on her phone while driving, but she also favors the proposed law.

“It is dangerous,” Williams said. “People seem to pay more attention to the phone than the road.”

According to statistics released by PennDOT, accidents involving drivers who were using their cell phones have increased yearly. The report shows 1,151 cell phone-related crashes in 2002, 954 in 2003, 1,177 in 2004, 1,192 in 2005 and 1,241 in 2006. That’s a total of 5,715 accidents in five years. The total number of accidents for the same five-year period that involved drivers using hands-free devices was 367.

State Rep. Eddie “Day” Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, is also co-sponsoring the bill.

“Because of my busy schedule, the use of my cell phone and Blackberry are important pieces of equipment in order for me to do my job effectively,” Pashinski said. “But these valuable communication tools, when used while driving, can prove to be fatal. The numbers tell the story. There is no place for distracted cell phone drivers on Pennsylvania roads traveling at high speeds. Serious injuries, death and millions of dollars in insurance costs are the tragic results.”

Debby Lichtenstein, Kingston, said she understands how drivers can be distracted.

“I totally agree with restricting cell phone use while driving,” she said. “I use a hands-free device. It’s easy enough to be distracted, even if you’re not on the phone.”

According to the Cellular Trade Industry Association, an international association for the wireless telecommunications industry, there are 229 million wireless subscribers in the United States.

Last year, the group claims that 158 billion text messages – or 300,000 per minute – were sent. According to the group, that’s a 95 percent increase from 2005. Many of those text messages were sent and/or received by people operating motor vehicles.

A report compiled by the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies contained more disturbing information. In its publication, Issue Brief, the association relayed data found in a 2006 study by the University of Utah. In the study, drivers who were talking on either a hand-held or hands-free cellular phone were found to have delayed braking reactions, and they were involved in more traffic accidents than when they were not talking on the phone.

“The authors concluded that when driving conditions and the time on task were controlled for, the impairments associated with using a cell phone while driving can be as profound as those associated with driving while drunk,” the Utah study concluded.

The study noted several states have imposed restrictions on cell phone usage while driving, but no state has completely banned all kinds of cell phone use by drivers.

State lawmakers’ points of view

Here is what our six local state representatives had to say about House Bill 1827, which would ban the use of hand-held cellular phones while driving.

Rep. Karen Boback, R-Harveys Lake: “Although the bill is subject to amendment, the way it reads now addresses concerns of public safety. That’s what I support. The statistics are what sold me on the bill. Between 2002 and 2006 there were 5,715 accidents attributed to hand-held cell phones as opposed to 367 using a hands-free device.”

Rep. Mike Carroll, D-Avoca: “As a member of the House Transportation Committee, I look forward to consideration of this important safety legislation. I believe every driver who has ever used a cell phone while operating a vehicle has been distracted either by answering, dialing or talking on the phone. Considering the volume of traffic on our roadways, driver distraction is a serious concern and a prohibition on hand-held devices is a prudent policy change.”

Rep. Todd Eachus, D-Butler Township: “While the vast majority of drivers use hand-held phones only when it’s safe, some drivers – especially younger drivers – forget that their first duty is responsibly sharing the road. We’ll be examining this legislation closely to make sure it delivers common sense safety, and make it part of an overall effort to crack down on distracted driving, especially by teenagers.”

Rep. John Yudichak, D-Nanticoke: “Safety must always be our first priority on the highway. The use of a cell phone while driving can produce a dangerous distraction for a motorist – a danger that can be prevented enacting HN 1827.”

Rep. Eddie “Day” Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre: “The numbers tell the story. There is no place for distracted cell phone drivers on Pennsylvania roads traveling at high speeds. Serious injuries, death and millions of dollars in insurance costs are the tragic results.”

Rep. Phyllis Mundy, D-Kingston: “Maybe what we need is a distracted driver’s bill. I’ve seen people driving and applying make-up, eating, changing radio stations and reading e-mails on their Blackberries. I hear all sorts of complaints about this from my constituents. Maybe we need to enhance the penalties to make people pay attention.”