Expanding state law to curb distracted driving a good plan

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(Terre Haute) Tribune-Star

Gov. Eric Holcomb chose Terre Haute to unveil his 2020 legislative agenda. This sector of the state hasn’t always been a strong beacon on the radar of statewide elected officials. Holcomb, however, has shown a tendency to be attentive to various locales and the range of issues that affect them. His decision to come here is a welcome one.

While it may have been a bit of a surprise that Terre Haute was chosen for the legislative unveiling this year as Holcomb prepares to turn his attention to a reelection bid, the bigger surprise was that he chose to place the growing public safety concern of distracted driving on his agenda this year as well as the more predictable public policy issues. We’re glad he did. There are plenty of ways in which motorists become distracted while they are driving. What was on Holcomb’s mind, and what he will target in his legislative agenda, are those who use hand-held devices — i.e. cellphones — to text, tweet or navigate.

No one disputes that this type of distracted driving in any form is a dangerous practice. But use of cellphones while driving is particularly troubling and pervasive. And the practice occurs in vehicles large and small.

As we have reported before, transportation agencies are quantifying the problem with startling results:

•37,461 lives were lost on U.S. roads in 2016, an increase of 5.6% from 2015.

•10% of fatal crashes and 15% of injury crashes in 2015 were distraction- related.

•Distracted driving crashes are under-reported and it is estimated that cellphone use alone accounted for 27% of 2015 car crashes.

In Indiana, current law prohibits only texting while driving, not social media or other phone use, making it difficult to enforce, according to the Holcomb administration.

Holcomb, while he hasn’t presented a specific proposal, would expand the list of violations to include all cellphone usage.

“When you’re looking at that phone, you’re not looking somewhere that you should be,” Holcomb says. “It’s those things that distract you from

what you’re doing, and that’s driving.”

Making highway transportation safer is a worthy goal to pursue, and cracking down on distracted driving by focusing on cellphone usage is good place to start.

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