Posted: March 24, 2012
Teen car crash deaths are on the rise.This is a troubling new trend. Our dearest children are being killed in car accidents. Yet, the Ohio legislature can not seem to agree on a anti-texting bill that would prohibit this activity involving texting, distracted driving, and car accident injury and deaths.
Federal data shows that in the first 6 months of 2011 there was an increase in teen car deaths by 11%. Formerly, in the 8 years previous teen car wreck deaths had been decreasing.
WHAT HAS CAUSED THE INCREASE IN TEEN CAR ACCIDENT DEATHS
NHTSA has determined that teens are the age group with the highest probability of being killed in a car crash because of distracted driving. In fact the National Traffic Highway Safety Administration found that 16% of teen drivers Killed in auto accidents in 2009 were distracted. The primary distraction is the use of a cell phone for calls or texting.
The Ohio legislature has a bill on distracted driving floating in space. In June the Ohio house of representatives voted to pass House bill 99, This would have prevented sending or reading text messages. However the Senate has let the bill languish. Sen Lou Gentile said he does not know when the bill will be taken up again. He thought some senators would not support the bill, but did not give any compelling reason.
Ohio is now surrounded by States that have such a law on the books. I think it stinks that Ohio has not moved to get a law on the books that prohibits a driver from texting. Cmon Senator Bill Seitz of Hamilton County, this is right down your alley. Senator Neihaus of Clermont County what have you done?
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PREVENT TEEN CAR ACCIDENT DEATHS
1. Write your Ohio state senator and ask them to pass this bill
2. Communicate with your teenager and download the child parent safe driving contract and go over it with your teen driver and lay your own rules down.
Public Service announcement by Anthony Castelli Cincinnati car accident Lawyer
