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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Distracted driving, which encompasses risky actions |
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such as talking on a cell phone, texting, eating, or putting on |
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makeup while behind the wheel, killed nearly 5,500 people in the |
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United States in 2009; and |
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WHEREAS, According to figures collected by the National |
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Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 16 percent of fatal crashes |
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in 2009 were attributed to distracted driving, and an even higher |
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percentage of crashes resulting in injuries were reported to |
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involve distracted drivers; astonishingly, data on driver |
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electronic device use suggested that at any given daylight moment, |
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nine percent of all drivers on U.S. roads were using some type of |
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phone; and |
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WHEREAS, A poll conducted for an insurance comparison website |
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in 2010 found that 93 percent of American drivers engage in various |
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forms of distracted driving, 70 percent of those between the ages of |
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18 and 24 admitted to texting and driving, and 4 in 10 American |
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adults acknowledged that being distracted while driving caused them |
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to swerve, slam on the brakes, get a ticket, nearly get into an |
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accident, or experience a minor or major wreck; the poll further |
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established that drivers with more income and education were more |
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likely to drive while distracted; and |
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WHEREAS, Whether due to visual, manual, or cognitive |
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distractions, distracted driving takes a heavy toll on Americans, |
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and it is also expensive, resulting in claims payments that |
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increase insurance premiums for everyone; the serious costs of |
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distracted driving were recently noted in a series of New York Times
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articles by Matt Richtel, which won a Pulitzer Prize in 2010, and |
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Webster's New World College Dictionary selected "distracted
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driving" as their word of the year for 2009; in addition, the United |
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States Congress recognized April 2010 as National Distracted |
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Driving Awareness Month; and |
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WHEREAS, The Lone Star State needs Texas drivers to better |
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understand the dangers of distracted driving and continue to |
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address this growing problem that threatens all who use our streets |
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and highways; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby designate April 2011 as Distracted Driving Awareness Month |
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and urge all members of the motoring public to support this |
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worthwhile event. |