By State Representative Keisha Waites (D-Atlanta)
(250 words)
On average, between six and 13 teenagers die from motor vehicle accidents every day. And another 650 to 1,100 teenagers visit emergency rooms each day with injuries sustained from motor vehicle accidents. In both scenarios, regardless of the details in a police report, inexperienced teenage drivers are the proximate cause of injury and death in nearly every motor vehicle accident. Drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 are three times more likely than drivers over the age of 20 to be involved in a fatal accident. Look at these statistics. We can save the lives of our teenagers by passing House Bill 7.
This is not about politics. This is about saving lives. Inexperience and underdeveloped decision making skills are the greatest contributing factors to teenage motor vehicle accidents. Distracted driving, on the other hand, is the leading cause of accidents involving adult drivers. And by the way, these statistics do not factor in the added impact of mobile technology, texting and social media that today’s drivers cannot seem to live without while they are operating a vehicle.
If passed, House Bill 7 may aggravate some drivers because it would prohibit drivers from using their cell phones, aside from making hands-free calls, while operating a vehicle. I know there will be some pushback; however, I believe safety should be our first priority. While I understand these frustrations, at the end of the day, this bill will save lives, and as far as I am concerned, that alone is worthwhile.
Representative Keisha Waites represents the citizens of District 60, which includes portions of Clayton and Fulton counties. She was elected into the House of Representatives in 2012, and currently serves on the Interstate Cooperation, Juvenile Justice, Public Safety & Homeland Security, Special Rules, and Transportation committees.
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