house resolution no.69

Reps. Manoogian, Bellino, Filler, Hammoud, Pohutsky, Young, Aiyash, Cavanagh, Bolden, LaGrand, Koleszar, Neeley, Sneller, Ellison, Brabec, Clemente, Tyrone Carter, Witwer, Kuppa, Breen, Brixie, Cherry, Garza, Haadsma, Hope, Morse, Sabo, Shannon, Stone, Weiss and Whitsett offered the following resolution:

A resolution to declare April 2021 as Distracted Driving Awareness Month in the state of Michigan.

Whereas, Distracted driving constitutes a serious threat to public safety on Michigan   s roads; and

Whereas, Distracted driving causes hundreds of thousands of injuries and thousands of fatalities nationally every year. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving tragically claimed the lives of 3,142 Americans in 2019, an increase of nearly 10 percent from the year prior; and

Whereas, We remember all of the lives lost to car accidents caused by distracted driving, including the tragic loss of Mitchel Kiefer in 2016; and

Whereas, Drivers from all socio-economic backgrounds, races, ethnicities, genders, and ages engage in and are harmed by distracted driving; and

Whereas, Although drivers acknowledge the dangers of distracted driving, many still engage in dangerous practices on the road. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, nearly 96 percent of drivers feel that typing and reading e-mails, text messages, or social media while driving is extremely dangerous. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that nearly 40 percent of teens still engaged in texting while driving; and

Whereas, Michigan law has prohibited texting while driving since 2010; and

Whereas, Michigan   s roads would be made safer by a reduction in distracted driving; and

Whereas, The campaign to reduce distracted driving has been aided immensely by the efforts of local and state law enforcement in Michigan; and

Whereas, This month dedicated to distracted driving awareness will raise public consciousness of the dangers of distracted driving in the state of Michigan and will encourage Michiganders from all walks of life to put down their telephones while driving; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That the members of this legislative body declare April 2021 as Distracted Driving Awareness Month in the state of Michigan.