You can’t text and drive in Pa. You shouldn’t be able to stream and drive either.
April is distracted driving awareness month, an unglamorous topic that remains incredibly important for roadway safety. Last week, the Pennsylvania House Transportation Committee passed bipartisan legislation to curb distracted driving by banning handheld devices — an important measure, particularly as cities continue to become more dangerous for pedestrians.
The new bill, SB37, would expand current anti-texting laws to include most other usages like phone calls, streaming movies and scrolling social media. The bill is an especially important upgrade because the limited scope of Pennsylvania’s texting law means that, technically, booting up Netflix is still a-ok — as long as you don’t text your friends about it.
This obvious loophole should be closed, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle agree. The measure passed through committee 19-6 last week, though modest amendments mean it must return to the Senate. There it should be approved and sent to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk.
In 2022, distracted driving caused nearly 11,500 accidents on Pennsylvania roadways, while drunk driving accounted for only 7,700. Around 13% of all nationwide traffic accidents can be attributed in part to distracted driving.
Yet these disturbing numbers are likely a significant undercount. Only people whose distraction is listed in a police report are documented in these statistics, relying on drivers to incriminate themselves by admitting they didn’t have their eyes on the road.
But drivers do admit to being distracted anonymously. A 2022 survey by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that 20% of drivers said they regularly read emails, played games, watched videos or scrolled through social media while on the road. At least half of all drivers had done these activities at least once in the last 30 days. People younger than 35, men and parents with children under 18 were the most likely to be distracted by screens.
Under SB37, the penalties for distracted driving would ramp up slowly: For the first year, officers would only pass out written warnings. Then a $50 fine would be instituted, with increases for repeat offenders. The fines wouldn’t add points to a license or trigger a court date. It’s a good slap on the wrist that should help to curb a common problem.
The bill would also address pedestrian safety. Much has been said about distracted pedestrians, but, ultimately, drivers must be held to a higher standard. Their odds of survival in a collision are much higher than for the unprotected pedestrians and bicyclists they share the roads with.
The everyday nature of car use often lulls drivers into complacency. But driving is one of the most dangerous activities Americans regularly engage in. Pennsylvania should join the other 26 U.S. states with proper hands-free laws already on the books.