Last January a group of students testified on why passing Colorado Bill SB19-012 is so important to them. As a car accident lawyer in Denver, I see way too many horrible accidents caused by drivers using their devices. We need to save lives, and we believe that SB19-012 can be an effective way to do so
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:
Hi Scott O’Sullivan here from O’Sullivan law firm and Rider Justice here with students for safer roads. We’re trying to pass the hands-free bill today to stop people from driving with mobile phones in their hands. It’s crucially important.
We’ll be testifying in just a little bit trying to get this bill passed. I think it’s going to be an uphill struggle this year guys. We’re going to give it our best try. Tell me what do you think is going to happen today?
I think we’re going to get this bill passed and make our roads safer.
Delaney how about you?
I’m excited to try and get this bill passed because I think it will make our roads safer for everyone because currently it’s just teenagers who can’t use their phones in the car, while adults are still using their phones irresponsibly in the car, and I think that it should be illegal for everyone, to make our roads safer.
Allie, what do you think?
We got support from both our schools and got over 200 signatures. And I think that we’re, we have lots of support and we’re going to do well.
Every time Americans look down at their phones it’s for an average of five seconds, while it only takes a mere three of the driver’s attention to be diverted to cause a potentially fatal crash. Colorado drivers can make a responsible change to stop this irresponsible and dangerous habit that’s becoming more and more common.
Last year distracted driving caused forty car crashes a day in Colorado. Every year this unsafe habitat is causing more accidents and claiming more lives in our state.
Today in America nine people are going to die on the road today because they personally caused the accident by looking at their phones while driving. This new bill can help bring about change for the better as proven by other states.
This past July, Georgia passed a very similar law while allowed police officers to pull over anyone with a phone in their hand while driving. Within months counties all across the state began to see decreases in
road collisions up to 25 percent. This law will save Colorado lives.
To paraphrase Jordan Baker from The Great Gatsby after she’s accused of being a “rotten driver,” she explains that careful drivers will stay out of her way, and Nick asks her, “suppose you meet someone as careless as yourself.” She says “I hope I never will.” Please discourage all drivers from making rotten choices. Please pass this bill.
Thank you all for being here. Do we have questions from our committee members?
I’d like to speak.
Absolutely.
I’ve heard a number of arguments against this bill, which I think are not valid. The first thing, that laws like this have no effect, which is completely false. In Georgia this law saved 102 in the last year, and personally I would be forever grateful to you if those one of those 102 people was one of my family members. My neighbor Gary, last year, he was a cyclist, and he got plowed over by somebody who was texting. He is now completely paralyzed and only just regained motion in his left arm.
Another fact I’d like to bring up is that people bring to our attention that the current enforcement is not effective and that is 100% true. So with this bill we’re hoping that this will actually begin to be enforced. And people stop doing it. Thank you.
Anything else? Any questions from our committee members? Senator Petterson.
I just want to thank you for being here you’re way ahead of me. I didn’t come to the capitol until I was in my twenties, so thank you for coming and for advocating for something that you believe in. You did a fantastic job and we appreciate you.
Curious how you can get involved in making our roads safer? Give me a call 303-388-5304.
