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First Posted: 4/1/2011

BILL O ’ BOYLE

[email protected]
WILKES-BARRE – It’s been almost a year since City Council approved an ordinance that bans the use of cell phones while driving.

Additional Photos Below

Survey results
Featured in the September 2010 issue of Seventeen magazine, the results are based on a survey conducted of nearly 2,000 male and female teen drivers ages 16-19. Seventeen magazine and AAA set out to discover what risky behaviors teen drivers were engaging in while behind the wheel – and how they justify this dangerous behavior.
Of the teen drivers surveyed:
• 73 percent have adjusted their radio/CD/MP3 player.
• 61 percent have eaten food.
• 60 percent have talked on a cell phone while driving.
The reasons teen drivers think it’s fine to engage in these distractions are varied.
Did you know?
What Is distracted driving? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are three main types of distraction:
• Visual — taking your eyes off the road
• Manual — taking your hands off the wheel
• Cognitive — taking your mind off what you’re doing
The NHTSA defines distracted driving as any activity a person engages in that has the potential to distract him or her from the primary task of driving and increase the risk of crashing. While all distractions can endanger drivers’ safety, the NHTSA says texting is the most alarming because it involves all three types of distraction.

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I don&rsquo;t think we&rsquo;ve cited anybody. It seems to me that more and more people are using their cell phones and driving, so I don&rsquo;t think we are enforcing it.&rdquo; Kane has been leading the effort to convince legislators to enact a statewide law addressing the issue. She said she has read a lot of statistics that show a high incidence of accidents caused by talking or texting on cell phones while driving. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve noticed more people aren&rsquo;t paying attention to driving,&rdquo; Kane said. &ldquo;You can see it every day &ndash; people run through red lights, through stop signs because they aren&rsquo;t paying attention to driving.&rdquo; The city&rsquo;s ordinance calls for a fine of no less that $75 upon conviction of the summary offense. As far as how many fines have been issued, Drew McLaughlin, assistant to Mayor Tom Leighton, said the city police department does not categorize traffic violations per specific offense. &ldquo;A citation for talking on the cell phone, illegally turning on a red light, or rolling through a stop sign would all be categorized the same,&rdquo; McLaughlin said. Kane said that to her knowledge there have not been any reports of people getting seriously hurt in the city in cell phone-related accidents. &ldquo;But I have seen the national statistics that show people are getting hurt and killed because of distracted drivers on cell phones,&rdquo; she said. Kane said council will continue to apply pressure to state legislators to pass a statewide law. She said there are &ldquo;many divided opinions&rdquo; on how the law should read, but she remains hopeful an agreement will come soon. Rick Remington, spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic, said Ted Leonard, executive director of the Pennsylvania AAA Federation in Harrisburg, told him AAA supports House Bill 896, sponsored by Rep Chris Ross, R-Chester, in the current session. Remington said Leonard is scheduled to testify in support of it at a House hearing in late April. Remington said cell phone use/texting comes under the umbrella of distracted driving. He said AAA supports tougher penalties for drivers who cause crashes or traffic violations as a result of distracted behavior while driving. &ldquo;We support a comprehensive approach based on sound research and which includes a significant education component,&rdquo; Remington said. &ldquo;According to the Governors&rsquo; Highway Safety Association, 30 states (including 11 in 2010) enacted such bans. New York, New Jersey and Delaware have all banned texting; Pennsylvania has yet to act. We will continue to push for an outright ban during the current session.&rdquo; AAA and Seventeen magazine conducted a national study last year regarding distracted driving among teens, including texting and cell phone use. Other distracting activities besides using a cell phone include eating and drinking, talking to passengers, grooming, reading (including maps), using a PDA or navigation system, watching a video, and changing the radio station, CD, or MP3 player. Remington said AAA nationally has urged all states to ban text messaging outright. &ldquo;We have worked with state legislatures, including the Pennsylvania General Assembly, to enact the necessary statutes,&rdquo; Remington said. &ldquo;Research has shown that the combination of visual, cognitive and physical distractions while text messaging behind the wheel makes it an inherently dangerous activity.&rdquo; Remington said eight states ban all handheld cell phone use by drivers, and 28 have enacted such bans for novice drivers. &ldquo;Again, New York, New Jersey and Delaware have each taken this step; Pennsylvania has not,&rdquo; he said. The AAA/Seventeen study revealed that nearly nine in 10 teenage drivers (86 percent) have driven while distracted, even though 84 percent of teen drivers know it&rsquo;s dangerous. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s proof that teen drivers know it is risky business to text while driving, but they still do it,&rdquo; the report stated. &ldquo;However, the overwhelming majority of teen drivers engage in distracted driving behaviors anyway.&rdquo; AAA President and CEO Robert L. Darbelnet said in the report that traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teen drivers. &ldquo;Because of their lack of driving experience and penchant to take risks, it&rsquo;s imperative that teen drivers &ndash; like all drivers &ndash; remain focused behind the wheel at all times,&rdquo; he said.