Senate Resolution No. 2041

BY: Senator MURRAY

MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim
April 2024, as Distracted Driving Awareness Month in
the State of New York

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize
official months that are set aside to increase awareness of serious
issues that affect the lives of citizens of New York State; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim April 2024, as Distracted
Driving Awareness Month in the State of New York, in conjunction with
the observance of National Distracted Driving Awareness Month; and

WHEREAS, Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April is a united
effort to recognize the dangers of and eliminate preventable deaths from
distracted driving; and

WHEREAS, Every day, at least nine Americans die and 100 are injured
in distracted driving crashes; cell phones, dashboard touchscreens,
voice commands and other in-vehicle technologies pose a threat to public
safety; and

WHEREAS, Distracted driving includes not only technological
distractions, but also eating, talking to passengers, smoking, adjusting
dashboard or other vehicle controls; and

WHEREAS, The best way to end distracted driving is to educate all
Americans on the danger it poses; each and every death is 100 percent
preventable; just one second of your attention is all it takes to change
a life forever; and

WHEREAS, According to the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA), in the United States in 2021, 3,522 people were
killed as a result of distracted driving, and 362,415 people were
injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers; and

WHEREAS, According to the NHTSA, in 2021, eight percent of fatal
crashes, 14 percent of injury crashes, and 13 percent of all
police-reported motor vehicle crashes were reported as
distraction-affected crashes; and

WHEREAS, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
estimated that crashes caused by distracted driving in 2019, had a
societal harm cost of $395 billion when factoring in quality of life
valuations in the United States; and

WHEREAS, It is imperative that there be greater public awareness on
the dangers of distracted driving, and more must be done to increase
activity at the local, state and national levels; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim April 2024, as Distracted
Driving Awareness Month in the State of New York; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York.