AAA sent a letter urging Gov. Ralph Northam to expand the language in SB1768 to include a complete ban of the use of mobile devices held in hand while driving on any road, not just in a highway work zone.
In the letter, AAA released poll results that revealed 63 percent of Virginians support a law enforcing hands-free cell phone use on all roads.
Distracted driving tops driver’s list of growing dangers on the road, according to the same poll, 73 percent of Virginia drivers strongly agree that the dangers of using a smartphone for texting, emailing, and social media can be as serious as drinking and driving.
“It is time to put an end to the dangers of distracted driving and expanding this bill to include a complete ban of hand-held cell phone use on all roadways is a solid step in the right direction,” said Martha Meade, Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA.
According to crash facts provided by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, more than 26,000 (26,123) crashes involved a distracted driver in 2016. In that same year, 14,656 people were injured and 208 tragically lost their lives as a result of distracted driving.
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles cited the top three distracted driving categories as the following:
- Eyes Not on the Road
- Looking at a Roadside Incident
- Cell Phone/Texting
“Distracted driving is a growing epidemic that must be stopped,” urged Meade. “We know that an expansion of this law can help save the lives of everyone that shares the roadways in Virginia.”
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