03/01/2011 01:00 PM House TRANSPORTATION

                                                                                                                                
        HB 128-BAN CELL PHONE USE BY MINORS WHEN DRIVING                                                                    
                                                                                                                              
1:31:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR P. WILSON  announced that the next order  of business would                                                               
be HOUSE  BILL NO. 128, "An  Act relating to prohibiting  the use                                                               
of  cellular telephones  by minors  when driving  motor vehicles;                                                               
and providing for an effective date."                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:31:39 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
RANDI SPRAY,  Intern, Representative Berta Gardner,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature, stated that  HB 128 prohibits drivers  under the age                                                               
of 18 from using cell phones while driving.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:31:46 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PRUITT   recalled  that  the   committee  briefly                                                               
discussed other cell  phone bills, but not HB 128.   He asked why                                                               
the sponsor limited  HB 128 to minors only and  for the sponsor's                                                               
view on broader coverage.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR P. WILSON  also agreed it was important to  consider HB 128                                                               
in  case  the  committee  wants  to  consider  incorporating  any                                                               
provision into HB 22.  She  asked for clarification on the reason                                                               
for the bill and why the cell phone ban is limited to teenagers.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:32:39 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. SPRAY explained  that HB 128 would prohibit  anyone under the                                                               
age of  18 to from  using a cell phone  while driving.   It would                                                               
also make cell phone use a  secondary offense so the driver would                                                               
have to  be pulled  over for  another infraction  in order  to be                                                               
cited.  The sponsor introduced  this bill specifically limited to                                                               
minors is  because they are  most at  risk from using  their cell                                                               
phone while driving.   The statistics show  motor vehicle crashes                                                               
are the  number one  cause of  death for  teenagers.   In Alaska,                                                               
statistics show  that motor  vehicle crashes  are the  number two                                                               
causes  of injuries  requiring  hospitalization. Drivers  between                                                               
the ages  of 16-17  have the highest  fatality rates  in crashes,                                                               
and  approximately  36  percent  of  crashes  in  Alaska  involve                                                               
drivers between the ages of  16-20, yet this age group represents                                                               
only  7.4  percent  of  Alaska's drivers.    She  concluded  that                                                               
Representative Gardner  introduced HB 128 since  it targets those                                                               
most at  risk.  The  bill also  serves to teach  teenagers proper                                                               
driving  habits  by saying,  "This  is  the  law, not  just  good                                                               
advice," she said.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:33:56 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PETERSEN   asked  whether  she  could   give  the                                                               
committee her insight and predict  how teenagers would feel about                                                               
HB 128.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MS. SPRAY did  not think minors would like HB  128.  She recalled                                                               
being a  passenger in a  vehicle while an  inexperienced teenager                                                               
was using his/her  cell phone.  She said she  was scared when the                                                               
driver used his/her cell phone.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
[HB 128 was held over.]