Teen Drivers In Pennsylvania May Be Facing Restrictions Concerning Cell Phones And Texting - A Good Thing For Roadway Safety
An article published May 31, 2009 at lancasteronline.com addresses an issue that this experienced Philadelphia car accident lawyer has been writing about on a consistent basis. Namely that texting and talking on a cell phone while driving is extraordinarily dangerous and has resulted in all too many catastrophic injuries and fatalities. Recently, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a bill aimed at strengthening training requirements for teen drivers and curbing some of the distractions that put them in danger, particularly those addressing texting and cell phone usage.
House Bill 67, which now has to get through the Pennsylvania State Senate would prohibit teens with junior licenses from transporting more than one unrelated passenger under the age of 18. Additionally, teen drivers with junior licenses and learners permits would be prohibited from using cell phones or other wireless communication devices while driving. The Bill also seeks to add 10 hours of night time driving and 5 hours of inclement weather driving to the 50 hours of practice that are currently required of teens preparing to take their driving test. The Bill passed the Pennsylvania House of Representatives by an overwhelming margin.
As I have written on numerous occasions in the past, a car operated by young and inexperienced driver who was multi-tasking and on a cell phone can be like a high speed weapon with catastrophic safety consequences. Unfortunately, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation in 2008 there were 8,628 crashes involving 16 and 17 year old drivers with 64 fatalities. The experienced Philadelphia car accident lawyers at Reiff and Bily are all too familiar with catastrophic injuries and fatalities resulting from inexperienced and multi-tasking drivers operating cell phones and texting when their full attention should be on the road. We applaud the initiative taken by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in passing House Bill 67 and hopefully, the Senate will unanimously approve this Bill which promotes driver and roadway safety.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, please contact one of our experienced Philadelphia car accident lawyers for a free no obligation consultation at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.
