Advocates has sent a memo to members of the New York state legislature outlining support of Senate Bill (S.) 3240/Assembly Bill (A.) 348. This legislation will improve safety by prohibiting school bus drivers from using mobile telephones while driving when students are on board.
Current law permits hands-free use of mobile devices. Hands-free is not distraction free and thereby places child passengers and other road users at risk when school bus drivers are distracted by their mobile device. Considering the prevalence of distracted driving crashes, this legislation is critical and timely.
School bus related crashes resulted in the loss of nine lives in New York in 2022, and a third of these fatalities involved a distracted driver. Enacting S. 3240/A. 348 will deter school bus drivers from mobile device use and keep their mind on the task of safely transporting school children.
Read the full memo here.