(Updated to reflect House passage)
The Kansas House on Thursday passed a bill that attempts to curb risky driving for a vulnerable population of Kansas motorists.
The chamber voted to 86-30 to approved a bill that would bar anyone under 18 from using a handheld mobile phone while driving.
The bill also would ban drivers of all ages from using a handheld mobile phone while going through a construction zone when workers are present and through a school zone during designated hours.
A violation carries a $60 fine, although there was an unsuccessful effort in the House on Wednesday to cut it to $10, which many opposed because it was seen as nominal.
The bill had support from the top Republican and the top Democrat in the House.
House Speaker Dan Hawkins related to the House a story about his shoulder surgery that resulted from when he was hit from behind on the turnpike by what he suggested was a distracted driver on a phone. The crash demolished his pickup.
“For this guy to hit me going that fast, he had to be doing more than texting,” Hawkins told the House chamber.
“I imagine he was probably watching a movie or something like that on his phone,” he said.
He called on the chamber to pass the bill.
“This is a reasonable bill to at least solving some of that problem,” Hawkins said.
“I think we could be even stronger than this, but I want to support this bill and make sure we do something,” Hawkins said.
House Minority Leader Vic Miller shared a similar view.
“This is absolutely something we are behind the times on,” Miller said.
“As a culture, as society we need to move ahead and understand that while it’s convenient, it is extremely dangerous particularly in the limited circumstances covered by this bill.”
There are about 30 states that ban everyone from using a handheld cellphone behind the wheel of a car as of last July, according to the Governor’s Highway Safety Association.
The Kansas bill addresses a group of drivers who are most likely to end up in a crash while using a cellphone or any other kind distraction using an electronic device.
In 2022, there were 423 distracted-driving crashes in Kansas involving drivers from 14 to 19 years old, according to data from the state transportation department.
That was more than any other age bracket involved in distracted-driving crashes.
For instance, there were 348 distracted driving crashes in 2022 involving the 20-24 age group and 231 in the 25-29 age bracket.
During 2022, there were 130 crashes involving someone 14 to 19 years old who was distracted by a cell phone while driving.
The next highest number of cellphone-related crashes was 108 for the 20-24 age bracket and 93 for the 25-29 group.
The number of cellphone-related crashes gradually tapers off as the driver’s age increases, the data shows.
