Pa. Lawmaker Wants to Curb Distractions for Teen Drivers

April 5, 2007

A Pennsylvania lawmaker said a new survey backs up her push for legislation to cut down on distractions for younger drivers by limiting the number of passengers they may carry.

State Rep. Kathy Watson, R-Bucks, told a news conference that she will continue urging passage of a bill she reintroduced in the House in January that would prohibit more than one passenger in a vehicle operated by someone with a junior driver’s license. The bill makes some exceptions for siblings, and drivers in farming communities.

In a recent AAA survey of 250 Pennsylvania motorists, 34 percent cited drivers distracted by cell phone conversations, text messaging and the like as the greatest danger they face, slightly outpacing the 30 percent who cited aggressive drivers. Aggressive drivers had been cited as the greatest concern by 40 percent of those surveyed a year earlier.

Those polled overwhelmingly favored tighter restrictions on teenage drivers, with 90 percent saying they should not be allowed to use cell phones while driving and 80 percent saying passengers should be limited, AAA Mid-Atlantic spokeswoman Catherine Rossi told the news conference.

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Information from: The Philadelphia Inquirer,
http://www.philly.com

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