RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, wireless telephones have become a very popular and affordable commodity in today's society; and

WHEREAS, the numerous safety benefits of carrying a wireless telephone in the motor vehicle are well documented, including the ability to report accidents, road rage, dangerous driving, criminal behavior such as drunk driving, and requests for assistance for stranded motorists; and

WHEREAS, wireless telephones also enable people to keep conveniently in contact with family, friends, and society; and

WHEREAS, however, using wireless telephones while operating a motor vehicle creates a potentially dangerous situation, not only for other motorists but for pedestrians as well, and the number of accidents attributable to wireless telephone misuse seem to be increasing; and

WHEREAS, according to a recent study published by the New England Journa1 of Medicine, the risk of the occurrence of an accident is four times more likely when the driver is busy conversing with someone on a wireless telephone, and the driver's attention is more apt to be on the discussion than on the road; and

WHEREAS, as early as 1991, a study performed by the American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety found that drivers using wireless telephones were twenty to thirty per cent more likely to be involved in a highway traffic accident situation; and

WHEREAS, in 2001, New York became the first state in the nation to adopt a ban on the use of hand-held mobile telephones while driving on public roads, except in emergency situations; and

WHEREAS, eliminating all but hands-free wireless telephone use while driving could dramatically reduce motor vehicle collisions; and

WHEREAS, however, the Legislature recognizes that the use of wireless telephones while operating a motor vehicle is not the only distraction-inducing act committed by drivers; and

WHEREAS, other actions, such as eating, drinking, applying cosmetics, reading, adjusting the volume or changing what is on a motor vehicle's radio, or even talking to a passenger, may also contribute significantly to a driver's inattentiveness while driving; and

WHEREAS, if the Legislature is to ban a distraction-inducing action while operating a motor vehicle, the Legislature believes that it should not discriminate against a particular distraction-inducing action without first determining if that action is the most prevalent cause of distraction-induced motor vehicle accidents; and

WHEREAS, as such, the Legislature further believes that, prior to imposing a ban on the use of wireless telephones while operating a motor vehicle, the Legislature should obtain more information on the causal relationship between using a wireless telephone while operating a motor vehicle and the incidence of increased motor vehicle-related accidents; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, the Senate concurring, that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to conduct a review of existing studies and statistics on the causal relationship between wireless telephone use while operating a motor vehicle and increased motor vehicle-related accidents; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to report its findings, recommendations, and any proposed legislation to the Legislature not later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2006; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Report Title:

Wireless Phone Use and Other Distractions; Motor Vehicles; Study