Page 3 - AAA Now! – AAA Shelby County – May/June 2021

Distracted Driving is in the Radar of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine
CEO'S MESSAGE
AAA
Volume 4, No. 2
TM
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Deborah L. Barga
Chief Executive Officer
Keith Putnam
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Mary Lou Holly
2nd Vice President
Gerald Wehrman
3rd Vice President
DIRECTORS
Stanley Evans...................Sidney Kenneth Francis ............... Russia Mitch Steinke ............ Jackson Center Jeff Replogle ...................Houston Tim Gleason.....................Sidney Todd Lotz .................. Jackson Center Mike McRill...................... Anna
Judie Karhan
Editor-in-Chief
Tina Cathcart
Regional Editor
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Deborah Barga, CEO, AAA Shelby County
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine
is renewing his efforts to save
lives through a push to include distracted driving as a primary offense in Ohio. This change to a primary offense would allow law enforcement the ability to stop a suspected distracted driver without any other reason needed.
Unfortunately, the list of individuals willing to testify to the need for this type of legislation is
reported behaviors. For example, many drivers noted the serious dangers associated with talking on a handheld cellphone while driving; however, they also admit to having done so in the past month prior to the survey.
A MAJORITY OF DRIVERS SUPPORT LAWS AGAINST DISTRACTED DRIVING, WITH OVER 76% OF DRIVERS SUPPORTING A LAW AGAINST HOLDING AND TALKING ON A CELLPHONE AND ABOUT 86% OF DRIVERS SUPPORTING A LAW AGAINST READING, TYPING, OR SENDING A TEXT OR EMAIL WHILE DRIVING.
Research has shown that a comparison with the effectiveness of primary texting bans to that of secondary or no texting bans show that primary bans are associated
with reduction in all crashes including
traffic fatalities. Regardless of whether this occurs through the Transportation Budget, as Governor DeWine proposed, or through stand-alone legislation, it’s time that we deal with the issue of distracted driving in Ohio through a primary distracted driving law before more families like the Fullenkamps suffer.
For more information about “In the Blink of a Fly” go to
intheblinkofafly.com.
WHAT'S INSIDE
Insuring Your Teen Driver .......................... Page 4 Traveling with Confidence ........................ Page 5 Tips for Traveling with Kids....................... Page 7 International Driving Permits .................. Page 11
growing as family members of those lost to a distracted driver also grow. One such case in Shelby County led to a family of four small children and a young wife
to grieve the loss of their loved one when
John Fullenkamp was killed by a distracted driver. His widow has tried to use their family’s grief to shed light on the growing issue of distracted driving by speaking
to local groups, creating awareness with signs and billboards, and even started an awareness group called “In the Blink of a Fly.”
Data provided by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has highlighted the dangers of distracted driving as
well as the benefits of legislation and enforcement of distracted driver laws. It should come as no surprise that
a Traffic Safety Culture Index study reveals that drivers
in the United States value traveling safely and seek strengthening laws that ensure safer roads. They view distracted driving as dangerous – yet this study highlights the disconnect between drivers’ attitudes and their
MAY/JUNE 2021
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Now!