[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 73 (Wednesday, April 28, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E462-E463]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   DISTRACTED DRIVING AWARENESS MONTH

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                        HON. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 28, 2021

  Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to join thousands of 
organizations and individuals around the country in observation of 
Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Ten years ago, a mother who lost 
her daughter to a distracted driving crash successfully petitioned this 
body to have April officially designated as Distracted Driving 
Awareness Month. Unfortunately, we are still dealing with the impact of 
distracted driving on our roadways.
  Research shows that using electronic devices increases cognitive 
distraction. This can be deadly on the road, where a split-second 
distraction can cause a crash. Approximately 3,142 people died in 
distraction affected driving crashes in 2019--that's eight people every 
day dying from a completely preventable cause--and this number is 
widely believed to be undercounted.
  During the COVID-19 pandemic, the roads have become much more 
dangerous. Motor vehicle deaths in 2020 are estimated to be the highest 
in 13 years, despite dramatic drops in miles driven Americans stayed 
home. While it's too early to have a full understanding of what caused 
this increase in the number of people dying in crashes, distraction 
certainly played a part.
  Recognizing these dangerous trends, I'm proud to be the leader of the 
SAFE TO DRIVE Act with my colleagues Mike Gallagher and Steve Cohen. 
SAFE TO DRIVE incentivizes states to pass laws eliminating distraction 
on our roadways. I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting 
passage of this legislation.
  I encourage all motorists to commit to driving attentively and 
safely, without the distraction of cell phones or other devices. I also 
hope my colleagues will join me this month in raising awareness about 
this important issue. Do it for all of our constituents. Their lives 
are more valuable than any call, email, or text.

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