PRINTER'S NO. 1604
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No. 278
Session of
2024
INTRODUCED BY BROWN, VOGEL, TARTAGLIONE, HUGHES, KANE, BREWSTER,
COSTA, SCHWANK AND J. WARD, MAY 17, 2024
REFERRED TO RULES AND EXECUTIVE NOMINATIONS, MAY 17, 2024
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating the month of April 2024 as "Distracted Driving
2 Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, "Distracted Driving Awareness Month" is being
4 recognized across the United States in April 2024 to reinforce
5 distracted driving awareness and education, as well as to
6 encourage safe and responsible behavior on our roadways; and
7 WHEREAS, According to the National Highway Traffic Safety
8 Administration, distracted driving is any activity that could
9 divert a person's attention away from the primary task of
10 driving; and
11 WHEREAS, Examples of distracted driving include texting,
12 eating, grooming and talking to passengers; and
13 WHEREAS, The Department of Transportation of the Commonwealth
14 maintains and publishes crash data, including distracted driving
15 crashes; and
16 WHEREAS, In 2021, there were 12,703 crashes involving a
17 distracted driver and from 2017 through 2021, there were 274
18 fatalities in crashes involving a distracted driver or an
 1 average of 58 fatalities per year; and
2 WHEREAS, This statistic has remained relatively stagnant in
3 this period; and
4 WHEREAS, While these statistics are guides, it has been
5 documented that many drivers will not admit to distracted
6 driving, causing these statistics to be lower than in reality;
7 and
8 WHEREAS, Distracted driving contributed to 10.7% of all
9 crashes in this Commonwealth in 2021 and while 10.7% might not
10 seem like a high number, every one of those accidents could have
11 been prevented; and
12 WHEREAS, Driver distraction is a completely preventable
13 problem, and yet it accounts for dozens of deaths in this
14 Commonwealth every year; and
15 WHEREAS, Recognizing "Distracted Driving Awareness Month" in
16 April, and throughout the year, encourages safe and responsible
17 behavior and safe driving habits and increases awareness of the
18 dangers posed by distracted driving to operators and passengers;
19 therefore be it
20 RESOLVED, That the Senate designate the month of April 2024
21 as "Distracted Driving Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.
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