IV 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 493 
Recognizing the dangers of distracted driving. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 28, 2017 
Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI (for himself and Mr. HULTGREN) submitted the fol-
lowing resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 
and Infrastructure 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing the dangers of distracted driving. 
Whereas, in 2011, Congress passed the Safe Teen and Novice 
Driver Uniform Protection Act of 2011, which authorized 
the Secretary of Transportation to award incentive 
grants to States with graduated driver licensing laws that 
require novice drivers younger than age 21 to comply 
with a two-stage licensing process before receiving an un-
restricted driver’s license; 
Whereas the two-stage process included a learner’s permit 
and a subsequent intermediate permit stage that pro-
hibits the usage of cell phones or other communication 
devices in nonemergency situations; 
Whereas this law aimed to reduce instances of impaired driv-
ing, including distracted driving; 
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Whereas, in 2015, the National Safety Council reported that 
47 percent of drivers believe it is safe to send a text ei-
ther manually or via voice-dictation system, 35 percent of 
teens use social media behind the wheel, and 54 percent 
of drivers feel pressure from work to drive distracted; 
Whereas, in 2016, about 40,000 people died in motor vehicle 
crashes, representing a 14 percent increase since 2014; 
Whereas, in 2016, the National Safety Council, the National 
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Federal 
Highway Administration, and the Federal Motor Carrier 
Safety Administration all announced the Road to Zero 
initiative, with the goal of eliminating traffic fatalities 
within 30 years; 
Whereas this coalition encourages a coordinated approach by 
local and State entities to increase driver safety; 
Whereas, in 2017, AT&T reported that while driving, nearly 
4 in 10 smartphone users tap into social media, almost 
3 in 10 surf the net, and surprisingly, 1 in 10 video chat; 
Whereas AT&T research reports that while texting and 
emailing remain the prevalent driver distraction, more 
than 1⁄4 polled reported using other social platforms, such 
as Facebook and Twitter, while driving; 
Whereas a shocking 1 in 7 reported they are active on Twit-
ter from behind the wheel of a moving vehicle; 
Whereas the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 
reports that distracted driving is a problem for all age 
groups, but especially for younger, novice drivers who use 
smartphones at a rate over two times higher than other 
age groups; 
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Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause 
of death for teens; 
Whereas 47 States and the District of Columbia now ban 
texting while driving, 15 States and the District of Co-
lumbia prohibit all hand held use of cell phones while 
driving, and 38 States and the District of Columbia ban 
all cell phone use by novice drivers; and 
Whereas Congress incentivizes States to ban all cell phone 
use for teen drivers, except in cases of emergency: Now, 
therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives recog-
nizes the dangers of distracted driving and expresses sup-
port for— 
(1) public and private efforts to educate the 
public about the dangers of distracted driving; 
(2) industry-led engineering solutions to reduce 
fatal crash risks as a result of distracted driving; 
(3) stronger enforcement of distracted driving 
laws; 
(4) the ‘‘It Can Wait’’ campaign created by 
AT&T to raise awareness of the dangers of texting 
and driving; and 
(5) the Road to Zero coalition and its efforts to 
encourage a holistic, safe system approach to im-
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proving roadway safety, including reducing dis-
tracted driving and crashes related to it. 
Æ 
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