Is Safe Driving a Priority Anymore? – March Editorial

How many of you have asked these questions recently: “What is going on with driving nowadays?”, “Am I the only safe driver?”, or my favorite, “Is it national bad driver day today?” Anyone who commutes between Milford and Hartford almost every day, accessing both interstate highways, like me, knows that avoiding bad and unsafe drivers is a common challenge. The worst part? The number of cases is growing.

Following the release of 2021 data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that stated driving-related deaths were at a 16-year high, predictions for 2023 remain at an upward trend. Even recently, studies suggest that last year was one of the deadliest for both pedestrians and drivers, with annual deaths rising at a rate of 30 per year since 2019.

It seems like every day I hear about a new story linked to unsafe driving whether it involves the hospitalization or even death of pedestrians, passengers, or the drivers themselves. Between rising incidents of wrong-way accidents or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, why aren’t we having a conversation about this?

As a mother and the Ranking Member on the Transportation Committee, it is both my passion and responsibility to promote safe driving in our state and reducing overall vehicular accidents and deaths. Now is the time to start the conversation. Let’s begin with a new approach: emphasizing safety through education and enforcement.

Several key bills have been proposed and addressed in public hearings on our committee, many of which directly serve to promote better safety practices on the road. For example, one bill (H.B. 5965) seeks to incorporate driver’s education lessons on the dangers of operating a vehicle after the consumption of cannabis. Another bill (H.B. 5917) has goals to eliminate the open container law, mandate helmets for motorcyclists, encourage seat belt safety education in schools, and develop training for middle and high school students on the goals of the “Vision Zero council” to eliminate potential traffic accidents and deaths through education.

What are the positives of these bills? Safety is their goal. The negatives? The government shouldn’t serve to overregulate its people. In fact, some lawmakers on the other side of the aisle have even tried to hold drivers hostage and threaten their right to privacy as organ donors, if they simply refuse to wear a helmet. Although I am a supporter of driving safely, these comments were childish and insensitive.

Aside from investing in educational resources, a solution is not possible without enforcement of the law. Right now, Connecticut has seen a significant decline in State Police recruitment numbers, leaving many of our roads and communities unsupervised and our reduced police force overwhelmed in other areas of the state. That’s why I voted in support of the State Police Contract Agreement this year which looks to incentivize recruitment, grow the force, and have more officers to maintain the rule of law on our roads.

As distractions, accidents, drug usage, and even deaths on the road increase annually, sadly impacting a member of our own General Assembly, now is the time to reconsider how we promote safe driving in Connecticut. Investment in smart educational strategies and fostering trust and support for our law enforcement on our roads will lead to the meaningful solutions we need to counteract the bad-driving epidemic in our state.

I urge you to share your voice at any upcoming public hearings on the Transportation Committee because it is critical that we have this necessary conversation to control the rising numbers of deaths and accidents in CT. Please visit the Connecticut General Assembly website to access the calendar or follow my Facebook page to regularly receive updates on public hearing dates, agendas, and information on submitting testimony.

I will actively update you on the future of these and any other proposed bills as we move forward with the legislative process. As always, please contact me should you have any questions about this issue or concerns on any other topics relating to state government at Kathy.Kennedy@housegop.ct.gov or at 800-842-1423.