Senate Resolution No. 240 BY: Senator MURRAY MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim April 2025, as Distracted Driving Awareness Month in the State of New York WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize official months that are set aside to increase awareness of serious issues that affect the lives of citizens of New York State; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim April 2025, as Distracted Driving Awareness Month in the State of New York, in conjunction with the observance of National Distracted Driving Awareness Month; and WHEREAS, Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April is a united effort to recognize the dangers of and eliminate preventable deaths from distracted driving; and WHEREAS, Every day, at least nine Americans die and 100 are injured in distracted driving crashes; cell phones, dashboard touchscreens, voice commands and other in-vehicle technologies pose a threat to public safety; and WHEREAS, Distracted driving includes not only technological distractions, but also eating, talking to passengers, smoking, adjusting dashboard or other vehicle controls; and WHEREAS, The best way to end distracted driving is to educate all Americans on the danger it poses; each and every death is 100 percent preventable; just one second of your attention is all it takes to change a life forever; and WHEREAS, According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in the United States in 2021, 3,522 people were killed as a result of distracted driving, and 362,415 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers; and WHEREAS, According to the NHTSA, in 2021, eight percent of fatal crashes, 14 percent of injury crashes, and 13 percent of all police-reported motor vehicle crashes were reported as distraction-affected crashes; and WHEREAS, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated that crashes caused by distracted driving in 2019, had a societal harm cost of $395 billion when factoring in quality of life valuations in the United States; and WHEREAS, It is imperative that there be greater public awareness on the dangers of distracted driving, and more must be done to increase activity at the local, state and national levels; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim April 2025, as Distracted Driving Awareness Month in the State of New York; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New York.