Action Alert:  Palmetto Cycling Coalition
February 4, 2019

Contact your Legislator, and tell them:
Please support Safer Streets and H.3355 !

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In 2 days, the House Education & Public Works committee will consider H.3355 - "Driving Under the Influence of an Electronic Device, or DUI-E law", aka the Distracted Driving bill:

Wednesday, February 6, Room 433, 2:30pm
Solomon Blatt Building, 1105 Pendleton St, Columbia

It is critical to the passage of H3355 for legislators to hear from us.

Please:
  1. Contact your representative, 
  2. Let them know you are a constituent,
  3. You support H3355, and
  4. You want them to vote in favor of H3355 "for safer streets in South Carolina".
House Education & Public Works Committee:
  1. Merita A. "Rita" Allison, Chair - Spartanburg County (cosponsor H3355), (803) 734-3053, Email
  2. Robert L. Brown - Charleston & Colleton Counties, (803) 737-3170, Email
  3. Lind "Lin" Bennett - Charleston & Dorchester County, (803) 212-6948, Email
  4. Paula Rawl Calhoon - Lexington County (cosponsor H3355), (803) 212-6954, Email
  5. Bobby J. Cox - Greenville County, (803) 212-6883, Email
  6. Jerry N. Govan, Jr. - Orangeburg County (cosponsor H3355), (803) 734-3012, Email
  7. Timothy A "Tim" McGinnis - Horry County (cosponsor H3355), (803) 212-6935, Email
  8. Bill Taylor - Aiken County (Sponsor H3355), (803) 212-6923, Email
  9. Chris Wooten - Lexington County, (803) 212-6897, Email
  10. Ronald "Ronnie" Young -Aiken County, (803) 212 6917, Email
  11. Terry Alexander - Florence County, (803) 734-3004, Email
  12. Wendy C. Brawley - Richland County, (203) 212-6961, Email
  13. Converse A "Con" Chellis, IV Dorchester County, (803) 212-6871, Email
  14. R. Raye Felder - York County (cosponsor H3355) (803) 212-6892, Email
  15. Steven Wayne Long - Spartanburg County, (803) 212-6878, Email
  16. Tommy M. Stringer - Spartanburg County (cosponsor H3355), (803) 212-6881, Email
  17. Ivory Torrey Thigpen - Richland County, (803) 212-6794, Email
  18. Richard L. "Richie" Yow - Chesterfield County, (803) 212-6949, Email
Then ask your state representative to cosponsor H.3355.  It currently has 14 cosponsors ( TaylorAllisonElliottTallonCogswellMcCravyV.S.  MossYoungMcGinnisStringerFelderCalhoonHardee and  Govan).  If you don't know who your representative is:
  1. Go to: www.scstatehouse.gov
  2. Under the "Find Your Legislators" search box enter your address.
Traffic deaths per 100 million VMT averaged 61% higher and traffic deaths per 100,000 population averaged 78% higher in South Carolina relative to the nation for the three most recent years for which data are available.

At last Tuesday's Transportation Subcommittee hearing representatives from the American Automobile Association (AAA) of the Carolinas, the SC Department of Insurance, the SC Department of Public Safety, the SC Trucking Association, and the Palmetto Cycling Coalition all testified in favor of H3355.    See blogpost of this broad list of speakers and gripping testimony.

Representative John Carson (R Georgia), the primary sponsor of Georgia's distracted driving bill that was passed last year, testified that insurance rates and fatality rates are already decreasing in Georgia. South Carolina law enforcement supports the legislation and their representative noted it will be a much more enforceable law than the current anti texting law. 

What does H.3355 do? It expands on South Carolina's anti-texting law to forbid the use of hand held electronic devices while driving.  Bill text here. Some may feel the bill does not go far enough in terms of penalties or in addressing other causes of distracted driving, but we aren't going to let perfect be the enemy of the good. Non-motorized road users are especially affected by distracted driving, so H.3355 can use your support! We strongly feel H3355 is an important step in reducing our risk on our streets and roads.

Representatives from the following organizations testified in favor of the legislation:
  • SC Department of Insurance
  • SC Department of Public Safety
  • AAA of the Carolinas
  • Palmetto Cycling Coalition
  • SC Trucking Association
  • Abate of South Carolina
  • StopDistractions.org

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We are only as strong as the members that support us, so please donate and be a part of our efforts today!

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Palmetto Cycling Coalition |  www.palmettocycling.org