How New Arizona Legislation is Saving Lives

Phoenix AZ

04 November, 2021

7:10 PM

Description

With a city of 1.4 million people, Phoenix has implemented change to help the safety of the populous community. At the onset of 2021, a law was put into effect that prohibits distracted driving while operating a vehicle. The Arizona Department of Public Safety states that it is now illegal to talk or text on a cellphone while driving unless the device is in a hands-free mode. The law forbids the holding or supporting of a device with your body, reading, writing or sending messages via any portable wireless communication device and scrolling through social media, watching videos, recording videos, or any other use of the device that causes a distraction and requires use of your body, the Arizona Department of Public Safety states. From Jan. 1, 2021, to present, 1,375 citations have been issued with the new law in place. Vincent Cole, public information Sergeant with the Phoenix Police Department reported. "Distracted driving is a big deal and always has been. The law just gives a mechanism for the police departments to address it," Sgt. Cole said. What could have been an additional 1,375 accidents dealing with distracted driving turned into 1,375 potential lives spared and a learning lesson for the people who were caught going against the law, Sgt. Cole added. "Ninety-four percent to ninety-six percent of all motor vehicle collisions are the direct result of human error," said Brendan Lyons, founder of the non-profit organization Look! Save a Life. "The tragic aspect of these motor vehicle accidents is that they are completely preventable." Lyons was struck by a motorcycle in 2013 while he enjoyed his day off as a firefighter and was going for a bike ride. The operator of the motorcycle looked down at their phone to see who was calling and swerved into the bike lane where Lyons was. "The common misconception is the idea that it won't happen to me. The stark reality is that it doesn't happen to you until it happens to you," Lyons said. Lyons has been an advocate for hands free driving even before his incident, founding his non-profit a year before it took place. After eight years of advocacy, legislation has been passed in Arizona with intentions to prevent distracted driving. TeenSafe reported that texting while driving increases the likelihood of a crash by 23 times and that 69% of U.S. drivers between the ages of 18 and 64 admit to distracted driving. "A moment's distraction is a lifetime of regret," Lyons said as he reflects on his collision. "You either tragically impacted your own life or you've taken the life of somebody else." Hands-free programs like Apple CarPlay can at times be just or even more distracting than utilizing your phone while driving, Sgt. Cole said. He recommends people make use of the "do not disturb" feature available on iPhones and other devices while driving to avoid all notifications that could lead to distractions. The law in place helps to protect and preserve the busy community of Phoenix. Driving hands-free will save the lives of others and your own.