South Carolina Statehouse Blog

Sets in place policies that will save lives

(Columbia, SC) - Today, the South Carolina House of Representatives approved a measure that will make our state’s roadways safer. Passed with widespread public support, the Distracted Driving Bill (H. 4282) prohibits the dangerous activities of driving while texting and emailing that far too often are contributing factors in many automobile accidents.

House Speaker Bobby Harrell issued the following statement about the passage of this roadways safety bill:

“Simply put, this new measure sets in place policies that will save lives. This bill represents a much needed step in protecting our citizens and maintaining safe roadways that people across our state have uniformly supported.

“As technology changes so must our laws. Our state’s teen drivers are the most avid cell phone users and the most inexperienced drivers on the road. The combination of the two is a formula for disaster. Multiple studies have clearly demonstrated the dangers of distracted driving - several concluding it to be more hazardous than drunk driving.

“A successful infrastructure system requires both good quality and safe roadways. Infrastructure is critical to our state’s future and this bill will help ensure that our citizens have a safer environment to travel our state.”