Washington, DC -- Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY-17) praised the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) for recommending a ban on the use of mobile phones by commercial drivers while driving,  This decision follows an accident in Kentucky where a truck crashed into a passenger van killing 10 of the 12 occupants.  Investigators determined that the truck driver made the last of his 69 calls and texts (within a 24-hour period) at the moment the truck swerved into the van.

“It is because of these types of tragic stories that I wrote the Distracted Driving Prevention Act (HR 1772),” said Rep. Engel, “to eliminate the dangerous practices of texting, e-mailing, or talking on a non-hands free cell phone while driving.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said that in 2008, almost 20 percent of all crashes involved some type of distraction, resulting in nearly 6,000 fatalities and over 500,000 injuries.  We all use one or more electronic devices as part of our daily lives.  But these devices require our full attention, and clearly remove the focus of a driver from where it should be – on the road.

“There are tragedies each day similar to what happened in Kentucky, and I applaud the NTSB for taking the steps they have to prevent another tragedy.  You think it would be common sense to focus on your driving rather than on typing on a tiny keypad.  However, we all know that is not the case, and this legislation would simply help save lives.  I urge my colleagues to support it.”

Rep. Engel’s legislation would fund driver education and highway signage, two programs instrumental in reducing driving under the influence (DWI) incidents, and increasing the use of seat belts.  The bill would also create a national advertising campaign, administered by the NHTSA, to educate the public on the dangers of distracted driving.

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