Senate Bill number 186 was filed on January 8th by Republican Senator Luke Rankin, from Myrtle Beach. The bill suggests to criminalize distracted drivers by making accidents caused by them a felony.
Accordingly, the bill proposes that “motorists could be charged with reckless vehicular homicide when cell phones are a factor and when death occurs within three years of the accident.”
The Senator was not available for further comments, but has been quoted stating that the highest rate of car accidents is typically between people aged 18-25. If you add in further distractions, such as a cell phone, this number can continue to increase.
The Bill is unlikely to be passed as of this moment since May 1st was the deadline for all legislation to be passed this time around.
With the legislature stuck in the first-year cycle, bills that are not passed in this session maybe re-brought when the General Assembly reconvenes in January of next year.If the bill does not pass then, it will have to be re-introduced in 2015 or 2016.
According to the released reports, the sluggish scrutiny over this bill comes from the fact that the State decided to drop charges in a deathly crash where the driver was distracted by her cell phone.
As of right now, the bill has still not been passed. However, there are new laws, both federal and state, that do continuously pop up with the hopes of discouraging drivers from using technology while driving their vehicles.
For more information on serious car accidents, contact the car accidents at Reeves, Aiken, and Hightower, LLP toll-free at 877-374-5999 for more information.