Tougher laws needed to stop distracted driving

It’s happened to all of us. You’re sitting at a light, patiently waiting for it to turn green. You tap your fingers on the steering wheel, carefully eyeing traffic, all the while knowing you are running late for a very important meeting.

Finally, the light turns to green.

And nothing happens. The car in front of you does not move.

Do you lean on the horn, or give the driver a few more seconds?

Then you notice it. That eerie glow emanating from the driver’s side of the car in front of you.

You politely tap the horn. The startled driver offers the perfunctory wave and heads off, hopefully before the light turns red, leaving you steaming behind them.

The culprit? What else? The ubiquitous cell phone.

“Distracted driving” – the use of a cell phone while driving – is quickly becoming a menace in Pennsylvania.

Statistics released this week by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts note that citations issued by police for distracted driving are going through the roof, jumping 52 percent just in the last year and a whopping 172 percent since 2013.

Pennsylvania law prohibits drivers from texting while driving, which includes sending, reading or writing a text or email, as well as banning the use of headphones or earphones while a car is in motion.

The Philadelphia region sits near the top of the heap when it comes to offenders. Among the top 10 counties in Pennsylvania with the highest number of distracted driving citations between 2013 and 2017 are Montgomery, Chester, Bucks, Delaware and Berks counties. Chester County was ranked fourth highest with a total of 963 given over that time period while Bucks County followed closely with 859 citations. Additionally, Delaware County gave out 659 citations over the fiveyear period and Berks County totaled 589.

Among the 67 counties in Pennsylvania, Montgomery County ranked highest in numbers of distracted driving citations from 2013 to 2017. The county totaled 1,695 citations over those years with the highest number of distracted driving citations coming in at 620 in 2017, up 64 percent since 2016, and up 254 percent since 2013.

Distracted driving often has tragic – deadly — consequences.

PennDOT reports 61 deaths on Pennsylvania roads in 2016 were the result of a crash where a distracted driver was a contributing factor, according to AAA.

The question now is what will get us to put down our phones, in particular when we climb behind the wheel.

The current $50 fine for violators clearly is not working. It also fails to slap any points on a person’s driving record.

Is more enforcement the answer? Probably not.

The cell phone has become like another appendage to many people. Getting people to put phones down while driving is going to take more than a slap on the wrist.

A move last year to attack any use of a hand-held phone stalled in the House. Yes, it’s hard to believe, but Pennsylvania currently has no prohibition on using a phone while driving. No wonder nearly every driver you see has a phone stuck in their ear.

State Rep. Rosemary Brown, R-Monroe, sponsored legislation that would ban drivers over the age of 18 from talking on their phones without handsfree technology. If you’re under 18, you’d be banned from using the phone at all behind the wheel. Brown’s measure would also steepen the cost for those who get caught, tacking on three points on a driver’s record in addition to the $50 fine. Subsequent offenses would face a $150 fine each time.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notes that texting and cell phone use is not the only distraction while driving, but it is clearly the most alarming. Yes, people get distracted while playing with the radio, eating their breakfast or lunch on the run, straightening their tie, or putting on their makeup.

But consider this tidbit from the NHTSA. They say sending or reading a text typically takes a driver’s eyes off the road for 5 seconds.

“At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed,” NHTSA warned in a report on distracted driving.

This is simple. Put down the phone! And if drivers aren’t willing to do so, the state should do it for them, slapping steep penalties on those who insist on flouting the law.