BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | ACR 52|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
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THIRD READING
Bill No: ACR 52
Author: Frazier (D), et al.
Amended: 4/27/15 in Assembly
Vote: 21
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: Read and adopted, 4/27/15
SUBJECT: Distracted Driving Awareness Month
SOURCE: Author
DIGEST: This resolution proclaims April 2015 as Distracted
Driving Awareness Month and calls for awareness of the
distracted driving problem and support for programs and policies
to reduce the incidence of distracted driving.
ANALYSIS: This resolution makes the following legislative
findings:
1)Distracted driving is defined as any activity that could
divert a person's attention away from the primary task of
driving; whether it is visual, manual, or cognitive
distraction.
2)A 2013 statewide traffic safety survey conducted by the
California Office of Traffic Safety reported that more than
36% of Californians surveyed thought texting or talking on a
cell phone while driving posed the biggest safety problem on
California roadways.
ACR 52
Page 2
3)In 2012, 3,328 people were killed and 421,000 were injured in
distraction-affected crashes.
4)In 2013, nearly 70% of the California drivers surveyed said
they had been hit or nearly hit by a driver who was talking or
texting on a cell phone.
5)Parents who engage in distracting behaviors while driving more
frequently have teens who do the same; according to a 2012
teen driver distraction study conducted jointly by the
University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute and
Toyota, teens send or read text messages once a trip 26 times
more often than their parents think they do.
This resolution proclaims April 2015 as Distracted Driving
Awareness Month and calls for awareness of the distracted
driving problem and support for programs and policies to reduce
the incidence of distracted driving.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal
Com.:NoLocal: No
SUPPORT: (Verified5/5/15)
California Association of Highway Patrolmen
Impact Teen Drivers
OPPOSITION: (Verified5/5/15)
None received
ACR 52
Page 3
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT: The California Association of Highway
Patrolmen writes, "Talking on a cell phone, texting (although
not legal), changing the radio, talking with other passengers,
eating, etc., are all distractions that have proven to be
dangerous and often times lethal when driving a car. As
officers, nothing impacts us more than dealing with young
drivers who are seriously injured or killed by distracted
driving. ? Raising awareness and educating the public on the
dangers of distracted driving will hopefully reduce the number
of accidents and essentially save lives."
Impact Teen Drivers writes, "Distracted driving has become the
leading cause of death, specifically among teens. Raising
awareness and educating everyone on the dangers of distracted
driving will save lives."
Prepared by:Melissa Ward / SFA / (916) 651-1520
5/6/15 16:49:40
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