RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, upon the introduction of smartphones and increased multi-tasking behavior, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is calling distracted driving an epidemic; and
WHEREAS, approximately 660,000 drivers are attempting to use their phones while behind the wheel of an automobile; and
WHEREAS, The Itasca-based National Safety Council reported that cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year; and
WHEREAS, according to a study by Cambridge Mobile Telematics, 1 out of every 4 car accidents in the United States is caused by texting and driving; and
WHEREAS, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Fatality Facts reported that 11 teens die every day as a result of texting while driving; and
WHEREAS, according to a AAA poll, 94% of teen drivers acknowledge the dangers of texting and driving, but 35% admitted to doing it anyway; and
WHEREAS, the Itasca-based National Safety Council found that the number of motor vehicle deaths went up 6 percent nationally and in Illinois, due to the increased number of distracted drivers on the road; and
WHEREAS, texting while driving makes you 23 times more likely to crash and is the equivalent to driving blind for 5 seconds according to the.National Highway Transportation Safety Administration; and
WHEREAS, according to the Washington Times, texting while driving is now the leading cause of death in the United States for teenage drivers, as nearly 50% of all U.S. high school students at 16 or older text or email while driving which surpasses the number of teens who drink and drive; and
WHEREAS, the Governors Highway Safety Association has projected an 11% increase in the number of pedestrians killed in 2016 compared with 2015, and also cited smartphone distraction; and
WHEREAS, without a search warrant, authorities have to rely on an at-fault driver's honesty and cooperation to determine whether cell phone use was a factor in an accident; and
WHEREAS, police must rely on drivers' or wit...
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