NH Legislation to ban cell phones and pets in laps while driving

The state of New Hampshire is trying to jump on the road safety bandwagon along with several other states by proposing a driver safety bill. The bill would make it illegal to talk on a handheld cell phone, text message or have a pet on your lap while operating a vehicle.

New Hampshire State Representative Richard Drisko proposed a driver safety bill that outlaws handheld cell phone use, text messaging and holding a pet on your lap while driving. Eleven previous cell phone restriction bills, without the addition of pet restrictions, have been rejected. The state hopes this bill will pass with the addition of the pet restrictions.

"The cell phone dilemma has been talked about for a very long time and should be very interesting if it goes to house and then if it passes there onto the senate," said Richard Drisko, the New Hampshire State Representative who proposed the driver safety bill.

Cell phones cause over 200 automobile-related deaths and half a million injuries per year, according to a Harvard University study. From 2003 to 2007, there were 129 deaths resulting from driving and talking on a cell phone in New Hampshire. In 2000, 309,000 people in New Hampshire owned a cell phone. Since then, the amount of cell phone users has increased by 300 percent. There are now over one million people in the state who own a cell phone.

Students Against Destructive Decisions and Liberty Mutual Insurance Group determined text messaging is the primary distraction to teenagers while driving. Text-messaging while driving is becoming as dangerous as drinking and driving, in terms of hindering teenager's driving ability. Despite the danger of text messaging while driving, 46 percent of teenagers admitted to the dangerous act in a study conducted by AAA.

There are currently no limits on cell phone use while driving in New Hampshire. A ban on driving while talking on a handheld cell phone is in place in California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Utah and Washington. There are also laws in Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio and Pennsylvania that allow different localities to ban cell phone use while driving.

To further ensure driver safety, Drisko added the restriction of lap pets to the bill. The distraction of a pet in your lap can result in injury or fatality to the driver, other people or the pet. However, the law would still allow drivers to have a pet in their vehicles.

"Dogs love to ride in cars - but it's very important to do so safely," said Ryan Huling, a representative of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. "For that reason, we advise people to use car seats and seatbelts when driving with their dogs, to ensure everyone's safety."

Despite his objective to improve safety on the roads, many people feel inconvenienced by this bill. The good intentions of Drisko are seen as a nuisance by people who regularly travel with their lap dogs.

"I have two dogs at home and I take them with me in the car all the time. I don't see them as a distraction at all because they just sit there while I drive," said Brian Carroll, a sophomore at UNH. "Small dogs are hard to travel with because if they aren't on your lap you risk them being injured, so if the bill was to pass I probably would not take my dogs with me anywhere."

Drisko hopes by adding this clause to the bill, New Hampshire will pass the proposal. The goal of this bill is to increase safety on the roads and to do what he feels is in the best interest for his constituents.

"People are 50-50, there are mixed feelings toward this bill," said Drisko. "A lot of people like it, a lot of people don't like it."