In the Connecticut Senate Joint Committee on Judiciary Advocates is supporting advancement of Senate Bill (SB) 484 to curb distracted driving. The measure would prohibit the playing of a video on a mobile electronic device (that is in the full view of the driver) and expand the definition of a mobile electronic device to include video converters.
Wireless communication device distraction, which includes manual, visual and cognitive components, is a serious issue contributing to crashes. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), “brain activity associated with visual processing and attention is suppressed when drivers are cognitively distracted.” As a result, “cognitive distractions can lead to so-called ‘inattention blindness’ in which drivers fail to comprehend or process information from objects in the roadway even when they are looking at them.
To meaningfully address the prevalence and dangers of distracted driving, visual, manual and cognitive distractions should be restricted for drivers. SB 484 updates the law to ban a dangerous practice to help keep drivers focused on the driving task.
With traffic fatalities up 24 percent from 2014 to 2023, we urge you to support SB 484 and similar legislation, like House Bill (HB) 5463, to curb distracted driving.
Read the full letter here.