PennDOT Secretary Carroll: Distracted driving issue 'deserves our full attention'

Nov. 19—When asked his opinion on passing legislation that would prohibit the use of cellular phones and other hand-held devices while driving, PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll made it clear why he favors it.

"There's nothing more important than providing a safe transportation network to allow for the safe operation of vehicles," Carroll said. "But I will tell you, it's a challenge. Young people today are tethered to their cell phones and it's difficult to decouple that. But I'm not going to minimize the challenge before us. This issue deserves our full attention."

Senate Bill 37 — known as Paul Miller's Law — would enhance driver responsibility by prohibiting the use of hand-held cell phones or other communication devices while operating a motor vehicle on a Pennsylvania highway or trafficway. Drivers could still utilize a wireless communication device with Bluetooth or speakerphone.

SB 37 was passed in the Senate, according to the bill's prime-sponsor, Sen. Rosemary Brown, R-Monroe County.

"This legislation highlights the dangers cell phones have created for drivers and the potential lives that could be saved with awareness and prevention," Brown said. "It is needed as we are extremely behind in Pennsylvania to create more responsible behaviors while utilizing a mobile wireless device behind the wheel of a vehicle."

Carroll said Gov. Josh Shapiro supports SB 37, which is now in the House of Representatives. Carroll said he expects that Shapiro will sign the bill into law as soon as it lands on his desk.

Carroll credited Eileen Woelkers Miller of Scranton, Paul Miller's mother, who has been a tireless advocate for passage of the law since her son's death on July 5, 2010, when a distracted driver drove his tractor-trailer into Paul's car in Monroe County. He was 21.

"Mrs. Miller offers an extremely strong compelling argument," Carroll said. "She and her family have experienced a personal tragedy. She is an unbelievable speaker and she has been working hard for more than 10 years to convince young people to stay off their phones while driving."

But Carroll quickly notes that despite the efforts of Miller and Sen. Brown and many other legislators, they have been unable to get the bill across the finish line.

"My expectation is that it will pass," Carroll said.

Carroll said some legislators have concerns about the possibility of racial profiling as a result of more traffic stops.

"And there are some who feel this will be a case of another thing to tell people that they can't do," Carroll said.

Despite the legitimate concerns, Carroll said the passion of Mrs. Miller and Sen. Brown and the overall consensus that something must be done to address the issue, will eventually win out and the legislation will become law.

"Mrs. Miller is such a passionate person," Carroll said. "She is extremely knowledgeable about the issue and she has conducted a very personal crusade to get SB 37 into law. Many young people feel indestructible, thinking that something like this won't happen to them — until it does."

And Carroll pointed out that the issue is not just about young drivers.

"All ages do it," Carroll said. "We see it all the time. The point is we have to do whatever we can to minimize accidents, reduce injuries and deaths."

Statistics show extent of problem

"The statistics are there," Carroll said. "But let's not forget that a lot of data goes unreported."

Last year, there were 11,836 crashes involving a distracted driver in Pennsylvania, resulting in 80 fatalities and 411 suspected serious injuries.

Nationally, this data is knowingly under-reported. Often the investigating police officer, who submits the crash report, arrives at the scene well after the crash occurred.

Unless the driver is honest about their distraction, or there is a witness, distracted driving is not included in the crash report.

Carroll said PennDOT focuses on data trends to drive enforcement and education improvements and invests approximately $23.5 million annually in federal grant funds statewide to support behavioral safety programs, including distracted driving.

In partnership with PennDOT's Safety Press Officers (SPO), PennDOT's Community Traffic Safety Projects (CTSP), programs supported by the Highway Safety Office as part of federal pass-through grants with county governments, deliver educational messaging focused on a variety of tactics.

SPOs and CTSPs work with local high schools and colleges, as well as local organizations such as the Rotary Club, to promote and help facilitate educational presentations that raise awareness on the danger of distracted driving.

Presentations might involve a police officer, an injury prevention coordinator from a local hospital, or a distracted driving advocate. They use tools such as a driving simulator to demonstrate the dangerous outcomes possible when driving distracted.

Additionally, they hold events with crashed cars demonstrating the effects of distracted driving, and host billboard contests, and Youth Traffic Safety Councils, where they discuss a wide range of safety topics affecting teen drivers, including distracted driving.

SPOs will also host media events and record PSAs for airtime during Distracted Driving Month, especially.

Distracted driving messages are also often paired with other safety messages, such as work zone safety and pedestrian safety, and discussed year-round.

Additionally, PennDOT has previously run paid advertising in April as part of Distracted Driving Awareness Month. One ad depicted various forms of distraction, from cell phones to radio controls, personal grooming, and other passengers, reminding viewers that distractions are everywhere and urging drivers to not drive distracted. Another ad depicted the potential consequences of distracted driving and urged drivers to keep their eyes on the road.

Law enforcement is also active in efforts to combat distracted driving. Annually, PennDOT's Statewide Aggressive Driving Enforcement Wave scheduled for April focuses on distracted driving in support of National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

Pennsylvania law prohibits any driver from using an Interactive Wireless Communication Device (IWCD) to send, read or write a text-based communication while his or her vehicle is in motion.

While this law can be challenging to witness and enforce, officers can conduct a traffic stop based on this primary offense.

Statewide forum

In October, in observance of Teen Driver Safety Week, the Shapiro Administration shared safety messages and valuable information with young drivers at high schools across the commonwealth.

A statewide forum featured a panel of representatives from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Department of Education, and Pennsylvania Insurance Department. Also, safety advocates fielded questions from students on topics ranging from policies and procedures to safety information that directly affects teen drivers in Pennsylvania.

At the center of this forum was Secretary Carroll, who hails from Avoca and who also spent many years in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

"We all have a part in making highways safer, and we all need to work together to help new drivers gain valuable experience and knowledge," Carroll said. "Parents and teachers are an integral part of establishing a mentality of safety behind the wheel among teen drivers."

Disturbing facts and trends

Here are some disturbing facts for all drivers to consider:

—Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death among teens.

—From 2018 to 2022, there were 79,684 crashes involving at least one 16- to 19-year- old driver in Pennsylvania, resulting in 458 fatalities.

—65% of those crashes involved a teen driver driving too fast for conditions (24,695 crashes), driver inexperience (8,296), driver distraction (11,638) or improper/careless turning (13,109).

—There was a total of 51,949 crashes with one or more of these teen driver factors.

The state officials say that the risk of a crash involving any of these factors can be reduced through practice, limiting the number of passengers riding with a teen driver, obeying all rules of the road, and using common sense.

"An important factor in ensuring that a young driver develops good habits behind the wheel is parental involvement, starting long before their teen gets a learner's permit," said Colonel Christopher Paris, Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner. "We all can influence positive behaviors among teen drivers through our own actions by eliminating distractions and obeying all traffic laws, including seatbelt use."

The officials say parents should consider the following suggestions to help their children become safe and responsible drivers:

—Have regular conversations with your teen about safe driving skills, even before they get their learner's permit.

—Establish a parent/teen driving contract.

—Strongly encourage your teen to avoid distractions behind the wheel, such as talking or texting on their cell phone.

—Limit the number of passengers your teen may have in their vehicle. Drivers under 18 may not carry more than one passenger under the age of 18 who is not an immediate family member unless one parent or guardian is in the vehicle. After the first six months of incident-free driving on a junior license, the limit is increased to no more than three passengers under the age of 18 who are not immediate family members unless one parent or guardian is in the vehicle.

—Limit dawn, dusk, and nighttime driving until your teen gains more experience and enforce a curfew. Remember, state law prohibits 16- and 17-year-olds with a junior license from driving between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.

—Gradually increase the amount of time/distance your teen is allowed to drive.

—Enforce observance of speed limits and other rules of the road.

—Ride with your teen occasionally after they receive their license to monitor driving skills.

—Set a good example with your own driving habits.

Driver education programs also offer an extended benefit to young drivers. Teens who focus on making good decisions behind the wheel, such as always wearing a seatbelt, eliminating distractions, and putting phones away while driving, tend to avoid accidents and driving violations, which are key to keeping insurance rates low.

Driving distracted can change a person's life is a second. Families can be devastated forever by a tragedy that could have been easily avoided.

Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.