Tracking Legislation in Northern Virginia - Essay Example

The House Bill Number 942 which has been filed in the Virginia Assembly puts a heavy emphasis on road safety by setting limitations to holders of provisional driver's licenses.Specifically, this House Bill repeals the provision that allows drivers operating under a provisional driver's license to use wireless communications devices when their vehicles are lawfully parked or stopped. The bill also removes a subsection that makes offenses in the rest of the section secondary offenses. This bill simply means that Virginia drivers ages 15, 16 and 17 will not be able to talk, send text, messages or snap photos with a phone while driving on Virginia roads. This ban, designed to reduce accidents, also will apply to hands-free devices but will allow teens to use a phone during an emergency. This HB 942 affects me and all the young road drivers who pass by the highways and roads of the State of Virginia. The bill puts a limit on the number of passengers one can bring with and it also institutes a driving clinic for errant young drivers. The first major provision of the bill states that "whenever the driving record of a person less than 19 years old shows that he has been convicted of committing, when he was less than 18 years old, (i) an offense for which demerit points have been assessed or are assessable under Article 19 ( 46.2-489 et seq.) of this chapter or (ii) a violation of any provision of Article 12 ( 46.2-1091 et seq.) or Article 13 ( 46.2-1095 et seq.) of Chapter 10 of this title, the Commissioner shall direct such person to attend a driver improvement clinic." The second major provision states that "If any person less than 19 years old is convicted a second time of committing, when he was less than 18 years old, (i) an offense for which demerit points have been assessed or are assessable under Article 19 ( 46.2-489 et seq.) of this chapter or (ii) a violation of any provision of Article 12 ( 46.2-1091 et seq.) or Article 13 ( 46.2-1095 et seq.) of Chapter 10 of this title, the Commissioner shall suspend such person's driver's license or privilege to operate a motor vehicle for 90 days. Such suspension shall be consecutive to, and not concurrent with, any other period of license suspension, revocation or denial. The initial license issued to any person younger than 18 years of age shall be deemed a provisional driver's license. Until the holder is 18 years old, a provisional driver's license shall not authorize its holder to operate a motor vehicle with more than one passenger The general public is helped positively by this new bill since it reinforces the importance of road safety among Virginia' young drivers. The bill has a negative impact on young drivers since they have to forego the convenience of using wireless devices while driving. However, if one takes the importance of road safety at heart, the young people also benefit in terms of lives saved and the preservation of private property arising from damage due to potential road accidents. The main goal of a traffic safety program is dedicated to saving lives and reducing injuries by preventing traffic crashes in Virginia. The aim is the maximum protection of the driving public. The success of these efforts is seen in the number of lives saved and the injuries prevented. Traffic fatalities were identified as the leading cause of death, especially for young people between the ages of four and 34. The "years of life lost" as a result of these terrible events make their social costs particularly high. Many of these tragic losses of lives could have been prevented with better traffic safety bills. Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine wants more traffic safety bills in order to reduce accidents and injuries due to erring drivers. Traffic safety is an important issue since Virginia had suffered from many traffic accidents which had resulted in the loss of many lives. For instance, Virginia's 2004 rate of 1.17 fatalities per 100 million vehicle-miles of travel was lower than the national average of 1.44 per 100 million vehicle-miles of travel. However, Virginia's rate of 1.17 fatalities is higher than Maryland (1.16) and Massachusetts at .97 per million vehicle miles of travel. This means that the state of Virginia can still improve its record of rate of fatalities. Substance abuse, particularly, alcohol abuse clearly influences the number of traffic deaths In 1994, 41 percent of the crash fatalities of Virginia had involved alcohol abuse, while in 2005, 37 percent involved alcohol abuse. The Eastern Region had the highest percent of fatalities that were related to alcohol at 42.2 percent, while West Central had the lowest percent of alcohol-related crash fatalities, 31.5 percent, in 2005. Due to the emphasis on traffic safety, Virginia has the lowest fatalities rate among the states. Within Virginia, the Eastern, Hampton Roads and Northern regions had the lowest average rate of traffic fatalities per 100,000 population. In 2005, Southwest had the highest rate of fatalities with 22.1 per 100,000 population, while the Northern Region had the lowest rate at 7.1. Traffic fatalities are influenced by driver behavior, environmental factors, and vehicle safety. A new concern among authorities is the impact of sleep deprivation on driver alertness particularly for persons driving over long periods of time. The drivers also may be distracted by cell phones, grooming while driving, or the interaction with the other passengers. Age can also be a contributing factor. Young drivers may lack the skills and experience to anticipate or adjust to traffic problems whenever needed. Hence, the young drivers must go to driver improvement classes to enhance their driving skills. The State of Northern Virginia plays a primordial role in reducing traffic safety. For example, state agencies and local partners can cooperate to reduce substance abuse and drunk driving. Virginia's aw enforcement officers can work harder to reduce the incidence of speeding, drunk driving and aggressive driving. The law enforcers can even offer motorist assistance. The local motor vehicle inspection authority can help to ensure the proper mechanical operation of all registered vehicles in Northern Virginia. The local Department of Transportation officers and workers can set speed limits, plan and maintain Virginia's roads, and provide signage to alert drivers to road hazards. The local health authority can conduct health events to raise awareness of good driver and passenger behavior and offer child safety seats to those who cannot afford them. Many local partners can do free inspections to ensure that child safety seats are properly installed. State agencies and public and private schools work together to promote driver training and safe driving awareness activities. Finally, state laws can target impaired driving, excessive speed and aggression, and vehicle safety and restraint. This bill reinforces the implementation of the current traffic safety program. The Smart, Safe and Sober Program is currently the statewide umbrella campaign for Virginia. This campaign is a comprehensive and well-coordinated effort between the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, Virginia State Police, Virginia Department of Health, Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police and local law enforcement agencies. Moreover, this program encompasses other innovative strategies within the state. References: Virginia State Assembly website. Accessed on February 27, 2008 at URL: http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exeses=081&typ=bil&val=HB942. Virginia Performs. Accessed on February 27, 2008 at URL: http://www.vaperforms.virginia.gov/i-trafficFatalities.php. Read More