House Status:
Senate Status:
Senate Status:
Minutes for SB332 - Committee on Transportation
Short Title
Prohibiting the use of a mobile telephone while operating in school or construction zone or by individuals less than 18 years of age.
Minutes Content for Tue, Jan 25, 2022
Chairperson Petersen open the hearing on SB332 and requested Staff Adam Siebers give a briefing on the bill.
Mr. Siebers stated that the bill prohibits the use of a mobile telephone while driving in a school zone or construction zone and prohibits such use by any driver younger than 18 years of age (Attachment 1). He noted the exceptions in the bill: law enforcement officers using a mobile phone, a person in a parked vehicle, and an individual using a hands-free device. He added that a fine would be levied at $60 for any infraction after a calendar-year warning period.
The Chair noted that the same bill (SB25) was heard last year.
Travis Lowe, AAA Kansas, testified in support of the bill (Attachment 2). He said the noncontroversial bill will improve traffic safety; it has been reviewed and supported by multiple stakeholders. He cited data to show the need for the bill (In Kansas annually there are 15,000 crashes due to distracted driving.), and he explained that the bill does not supersede local government restrictions.
Ed Klumpp, Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police, Kansas Sheriff's Association, Kansas Peace Officers, spoke as a proponent of the bill (Attachment 3). Noting his support for the bill last year, he reported that his agencies continue to consider the bill a valuable tool to reduce accidents and fatalities, thus making Kansas roads safer. He referenced surveys and statistics to show increasing public support for addressing distracted driving.
Michael White, Executive Director, Kansas Contractors Association, testified in support of the bill, noting especially the added safety factor for construction areas by adding construction zones to the bill (Attachment 4). He commented that the bill is consistent with similar laws in 30 states to restrict a driver's use of handheld devices. He expressed appreciation for the coalition of stakeholders supporting the bill, and he referenced 2020 Kansas work-zone crash data.
Jason Wetzel, Regional Manager, General Motors, spoke via Web-Ex in support of the bill (Attachment 5). He stated that more than 303 million Americans have cell phones, a fact that poses an increasing danger for drivers, passengers, and pedestrians, and he explained that a decade of research shows that using a phone while driving causes the brain to shift between two tasks, resulting in slower reaction time and narrowing the field of vision. Passage of the bill will make Kansas roads safer.
Teresa Taylor, Kansas Emergency Nurses Association, testified that the 350 members of her association on a daily basis see the injuries caused by motor vehicle crashes and, recognizing that most crashes are preventable, strongly support the bill (Attachment 6). She cited one statistic to show that 94% of serious crashes are due to driver errors.
Ann Buckland, Trauma Services, Stormont Vail Health, speaking in support of the bill, said that preventative medicine offers the best health care; the bill offers preventative tools as public-health measures (Attachment 7). She observed that driver distraction is a major cause of crashes, and novice drivers are at the highest risk for distracted driving; both issues are addressed by this bill.
Nicole Allensworth, a Lawrence citizen, appeared in support of the bill by recounting her personal story of being distracted by texting, neglect which resulted in a serious crash leading to a long hospitalization, brain injury, and four years of therapy (Attachment 8).
Phyllis Larimore, Legislative Liaison, Safe Kids Kansas, spoke in support of the bill. She said Safe Kids Kansas is a coalition of agencies, organizations, and businesses dedicated to preventing unintentional injuries and death to Kansas children, and, as injury prevention specialists and safety advocates, members recognize the dangers of distracted driving; this bill will enhance the safety of Kansas roads (Attachment 9).
Jennifer Smith, President and CEO, StopDistractions.org, via Web-Ex testified as a proponent for the bill (Attachment 10). She explained that her organization is a network of families affected by distracted drivers. She provided national data and identified how laws in specific states have reduced deaths and injuries caused by distracted drivers. Ms. Smith concluded by saying that, with public polling showing overwhelming support for hands-free driving, the goal is to change cultural thinking to coincide with this support.
The Chair thanked members for their testimony and referenced three written-only testimonies in support of the bill:
- Randy Barth, President, American Traffic Safety Services Association (Attachment 11);
- William Sneed, Legislative Counsel, State Farm (Attachment 12); and
- Joel Skelley, Director of Policy, Kansas Department of Transportation (Attachment 13).
The meeting was adjourned at 9:16 a.m. The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 26, 2022.
