Distracted Driving Awareness Month

Senate Resolution No. 1049 BY: Senator MAYER MEMORIALIZING Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim April 2019, as Distracted Driving Awareness Month in the State of New York WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize official months that are set aside to increase awareness of serious issues that affect the lives of citizens of New York State; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim April 2019, as Distracted Driving Awareness Month in the State of New York, in conjunction with the observance of National Distracted Driving Awareness Month; and WHEREAS, Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April is a united effort to recognize the dangers of and eliminate preventable deaths from distracted driving; and WHEREAS, Every day, at least nine Americans die and 100 are injured in distracted driving crashes; cell phones, dashboard touchscreens, voice commands and other in-vehicle technologies pose a threat to public safety; and WHEREAS, The best way to end distracted driving is to educate all Americans on the danger it poses; each and every death is 100 percent preventable; just one second of your attention is all it takes to change a life forever; and WHEREAS, In 2014, 3,179 people were killed, and 431,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers; in 2017, 4.57 million people were injured seriously enough to require medical attention; and WHEREAS, Ten percent of all drivers 16 to 19 years old involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crashes; this age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted at the time of the crashes; and WHEREAS, At any given daylight moment across America, approximately

660,000 drivers are using cell phones or manipulating electronic devices while driving, a number that has held steady since 2010; and WHEREAS, Five seconds is the average time your eyes are off the road while texting; when traveling at 55 mph, that is enough time to cover the length of a football field blindfolded; because text messaging requires visual, manual, and cognitive attention from a driver, it is by far the most alarming distraction; and WHEREAS, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that crashes caused by distracted driving cost the United States approximately $175 billion per year; this is roughly $148 per American; in 2017, costs to society totaled $413.8 billion; and WHEREAS, The percentage of reported drivers texting and using their cell phones while driving increased from 1.7 percent in 2013, to 2.2 percent in 2014; and WHEREAS, In the first six months of 2016, driving fatalities increased 10.4 percent to 17,775 from the comparable period in 2015; the latest statistics show that vehicle fatalities are up another 6 percent since 2015; and WHEREAS, It is imperative that there be greater public awareness on the dangers of distracted driving, and more must be done to increase activity at the local, state and national levels; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim April 2019, as Distracted Driving Awareness Month in the State of New York; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of New York.