Congresswoman Betsy Markey: Representing Colorado's 4th District

MARKEY INTRODUCES ‘ERICA’S LAW’ TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM DANGEROUS DISTRACTED DRIVING
Bill will help keep school zones, local communities safe

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Washington, Apr 21 - Congresswoman Betsy Markey today introduced Erica’s Law, which will enforce state legislative action banning the use of wireless devices while driving in school zones.

“When any of us get behind the wheel of a car, driving safely and responsibly must be our number one priority,” said Rep. Markey. “Having seen the tragedy of distracted driving strike so close to home in my own community and as a mother of three, it is the responsibility of all Americans to help safeguard our children, and there’s no better place to start than in our neighborhoods’ school zones.”
 
Erica’s Law will tie federal transportation funding to state legislative action to prohibit the use of a wireless communication device in a school zone. Exceptions are made for when a vehicle is in park or neutral and in the event of an emergency.  

In November 2008, nine year old Erica Forney of Fort Collins, Colorado was riding her bike home from school when she was struck and killed by a driver on a cell phone.  The driver was in a large SUV and said that she never even saw Erica.  

“Studies show that distracted driving is just as dangerous as drunk driving,” said Rep. Markey. “A driver increases the risk of a crash by 2,300 percent if he or she is texting while driving.  Currently, 23 states have enacted texting while driving bans, and I am proud to say that Colorado is one of them.”

Research has shown that drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves and others. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2008, nearly 6,000 people died in incidents involving a distracted or inattentive driver, and more than 500,000 were injured.

April is National Distracted Driving Awareness month, thanks to a resolution authored and passed by Rep. Markey on March 23rd.

Rep. Markey also hosted a Distracted Driving Summit in Fort Collins on March 27th. The Summit featured House Transportation Committee Chairman James Oberstar, Dave Teater of the National Safety Council, Shelley Forney of FocusDriven, and David Strickland of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  

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