The school bus is the safest way for children to get to school, yet this can be compromised if the bus driver is texting or focusing on another distraction. April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, so it is fitting that the Rhode Island State House passed a bill Wednesday that aims to keep school bus drivers off their cell phones while behind the wheel.
House Bill 5881 would double fines for school bus drivers who are convicted from $50 to $100 for first-time offenders. A second conviction would net a fine of $150, and any subsequent fines would rise to $200. The bill also seeks to clarify the definition of “use” to prohibit any use of a cell phone while driving with the exception of hands-free use. The bill was initially introduced to the House Committee on Judiciary, where it passed unanimously.
“The sole purpose of this bill is to protect our children,” said Rep. Raymond H. Johnston, the bill’s sponsor. “If school bus drivers decide to risk our children’s well-being by using their cell phone while driving a school bus, those people deserve to be punished more severely. Our children’s safety is far more important than a phone call or a text message.”
NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind also weighed in on the perils of distracted driving in a recent blog entry.
“In the time it takes to send or read a text — slightly less than five seconds — a car moving at 55 miles per hour can travel roughly 100 yards. So if you text when behind the wheel, you’re essentially driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed —and possibly causing untold harm to other drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and yourself,” he said.
