Prevention of Drivers Using Mobile Devices While Driving
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U.S. Congress, United States Conference of Mayors
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On November 23, 2005, Jim Price, of Littleton, CO was riding his bike in the bike lane in Colorado. While riding, a 17-year-old who was text messaging on his cell phone struck Jim, seriously injuring him. Later that evening, Jim died from his injuries.
Incredibly, the District Attorney only charged the 17-year-old with a misdemeanor. As a result of this careless, thoughtless 17-year-old's actions, a man is dead, and he will only receive a MAXIMUM of a year in jail. We find this to be outrageous and sickening.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a study as early as 1997 talking about the dangers of cell phone use in automobiles: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/research/wireless/. The National Conference of State Legislators released an updated report in 2003 demonstrating the dangers of cell phone use and automobile accidents: http://www.ncsl.org/programs/transportation/cellphoneupdate1203.htm. Even the New England Journal of Medicine warned of the dangers of deaths caused by drivers in their automobiles when driving in 1997: http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/336/7/453.
Despite this, cell phone use in cars remains at an all time high. And deaths occur more frequently and are on the rise. Our friend, Jim Price, was a valuable member of the cycling community, and his death was needless, preventable, and unnecessary. We demand that lawmakers immediately pass comprehensive legislation banning the use of cell phones by drivers, and cell phone related activities, such as text messaging, in cars, except in the case of emergency. Cell phones are a distraction to the driver, and because of this distraction, an epidemic of deaths result, and this epidemic is largely going ignored. We no longer accept this dangerous practice while friends and family are killed or injured as the result of distractions in the car. Lawmakers need to address this now.
What we would like are:
1) Ban the use of all cell phone and cell phone and mobile devices in cars by drivers, except in the case of emergency
2) Strict enforcement by police with regulating cell phone and mobile device use by drivers
3) Stiff penalties for any drivers caught using cell phone and/or mobile devices in cars while driving
4) Drivers who maim or kill victims they've hit while using cell phone and/or mobile devices when driving should receive, at the very least, a felony charge and seen as a criminal offense.
A simple legislation banning the use of cell phones and cell phone related devices in cars by drivers will save thousands of lives, and there will be no more Jim Prices out there out for a peaceful bike ride, killed by drivers distracted by their mobile devices. We want immediate action- this is the simplest and most effective means to save thousands of lives.
Incredibly, the District Attorney only charged the 17-year-old with a misdemeanor. As a result of this careless, thoughtless 17-year-old's actions, a man is dead, and he will only receive a MAXIMUM of a year in jail. We find this to be outrageous and sickening.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a study as early as 1997 talking about the dangers of cell phone use in automobiles: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/research/wireless/. The National Conference of State Legislators released an updated report in 2003 demonstrating the dangers of cell phone use and automobile accidents: http://www.ncsl.org/programs/transportation/cellphoneupdate1203.htm. Even the New England Journal of Medicine warned of the dangers of deaths caused by drivers in their automobiles when driving in 1997: http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/336/7/453.
Despite this, cell phone use in cars remains at an all time high. And deaths occur more frequently and are on the rise. Our friend, Jim Price, was a valuable member of the cycling community, and his death was needless, preventable, and unnecessary. We demand that lawmakers immediately pass comprehensive legislation banning the use of cell phones by drivers, and cell phone related activities, such as text messaging, in cars, except in the case of emergency. Cell phones are a distraction to the driver, and because of this distraction, an epidemic of deaths result, and this epidemic is largely going ignored. We no longer accept this dangerous practice while friends and family are killed or injured as the result of distractions in the car. Lawmakers need to address this now.
What we would like are:
1) Ban the use of all cell phone and cell phone and mobile devices in cars by drivers, except in the case of emergency
2) Strict enforcement by police with regulating cell phone and mobile device use by drivers
3) Stiff penalties for any drivers caught using cell phone and/or mobile devices in cars while driving
4) Drivers who maim or kill victims they've hit while using cell phone and/or mobile devices when driving should receive, at the very least, a felony charge and seen as a criminal offense.
A simple legislation banning the use of cell phones and cell phone related devices in cars by drivers will save thousands of lives, and there will be no more Jim Prices out there out for a peaceful bike ride, killed by drivers distracted by their mobile devices. We want immediate action- this is the simplest and most effective means to save thousands of lives.
854 Signatures
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Koffee Brown
- Comments
- Please sign! We need your help!
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Christopher Atkinson
- Comments
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William Stockdell
- Comments
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R. L. Ellington
- Comments
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David E Friedli
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Jill McGinnis
- Comments
- Please help. Jim Price was an avid cyclist and bicycle mechanic who helped countless of us, via bike Internet forums, understand/fix/improve our bikes and ourselves. The driver's seat of a car is no place for distractions. Please - before we lose another. Thank you.
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James Hudson
- Comments
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Neil Brooks
- Comments
- Please.
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Charles Jurich
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Kimberlee Stevens
- Comments
- Please sign....we need to keep driving from being a multitasking event. It is hard enough to pay attention to the road without the addition of cell phones and other mobile devices.
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Aron Roberts
- Comments
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Greg Beam
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Alvin A. Chinn
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Steve Pilling
- Comments
- driving while using a mobile phone is already illegal in much of Europe- time to catch up
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Nataraja Siddappa
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BOB MADDOCKS
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Jessica Hinterberg
- Comments
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Aldo Busot
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Michael A. Hinterberg
- Comments
- Please also consider data from an Australian study, posted in the British Medical Journal: http://www.insurance.com/Article.aspx/Study_Shows_Cell_Phone_Users_More_Prone_to_Accidents/artid/319 ... We should also investigate why it is more difficult in the United States to obtain cell-phone related crash data.
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Jeffrey L Starr
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- Drive now, talk later!
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Roy Jameson
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- We need to ban cell phone and text message activities by drivers. I am both a driver and a cyclist who periodically commutes. Most of the days I drive, I see drivers talking on their cell phones, paying little attention to traffic, changing lights, pedestrians, and cyclists. Driving is hazardous, pure and simple. Those who drive need to be responsible, and give all of their attention to driving. When cycling, I devote all of my attention to traffic and road conditions, and drivers of cars need to do no less.
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Matt Pirotto
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Fred Kaufman
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- I recommend this both as a bicylist and DRIVER
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Thornton Long
- Comments
- Safety is always more important than mere convenience.
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Adam Barker
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J.P. Song
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chris esposito
- Comments
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Jeffrey Wade Sharrock
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Kathi Baird
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Mark Stawson
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- If drivers cannot talk on the phone safely, perhaps we should reduce all speed limits by 20\%.
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Duane Kennard
- Comments
- - PLEASE help to make it illegal to use a phone while driving...PLEASE!
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Kaili Mauricio
- Comments
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michael cavanaugh
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Adeline Hellesvig
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Peter Barson
- Comments
- Cell phone's are more dangerous then booze in the hands of a driver.
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John Burl
- Comments
- Cell phones kill!
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Mark Williamson
- Comments
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Brett Clare
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Paul Crocker
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Steven Golding
- Comments
- Please pass this legislation... for safety sake
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Jonathon Duvall
- Comments
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Bill Kipper
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Gary Mason
- Comments
- I am an American citizen
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scott cooper
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John Barbour
- Comments
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Joe Faust
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Allan S. Asarnov
- Comments
- For EVERYONE'S safety
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William Ball
- Comments
- I fully support this petition. Cell phone use while driving is potentially lethal.
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Darwin Gregory
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Garrett Dressler
- Comments
- Such measures are not to be taken lightly when it involves wreckless killing.
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854
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