We thank you if you've already emailed your legislator to ask for their support of HB 619 as well as we hope you've also asked your insureds to make those contacts either through email or Facebook. We have gotten some questions about why our focus is on this issue rather than on other more important tort reform issues, so we'd like to once again explain our intentions in this area.

In an initial email that we sent out before the Legislative Session began, we explained that we were working with PIA Member and Rep. Mike Huval, a member of the House Insurance Committee, to introduce legislation on Distracted Driving. We also explained that we would be using this bill as a test run to extend our grassroots efforts to our consumers in order to work through any kinks, so that next year we can have the process mastered for when we work on tort reform issues. Each year tort reform bills are introduced to only fail for political reasons, so we believe if we plan ahead strategically we can be better prepared next year to introduce such bills. One way to do that is to make sure that we have a strong consumer grassroots effort, because it will be important for consumers to make those contacts and demand action in order to lower insurance rates. How do we work toward those long-term goals? We start now in building those grassroots efforts, so we ask you to join us!

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP

We ask that you contact the House Transportation Committee to ask for their support of this bill, HB 619, which will be heard by the committee on Tuesday, April 10th.

We also ask that you pass along this request to your clients, so that they can in turn ask their legislators to support HB 619. This can be accomplished by going to this LINK to copy and paste the information provided into an email that can forwarded to your clients. Or, as another option, just visit our Facebook page and share the post leading to the Consumer Action Center with your clients.

If you are unable to submit a response through the above links, it is due to the fact you may not live in the same area as one of the House Transportation Committee Members. If you know anyone personally on the committee and would like to reach out to them, please see this link for the committee member email addresses.

The Capital Region Safety Coalition is attempting to get as many people as possible to sign a pledge to end distracted driving. They are asking that our members sign this pledge as well as share it on your social media sites or print copies to add in your lobby for pledgers to sign. As you get pledges, please update Kenyatta Robertson, the coordinator, by emailing her at KRobertson@crpcla.org so they can keep their pledge banner updated. You may also check them out at:

Website: http://crpcla.org/safety-coalition/

Facebook: @CapitalRegionTransportationSafetyCoalition

Instagram: @CapitalRegionSafetyCoalition

To make the pledge click here.

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, as designated by the National Safety Council (NSC), and auto insurers join the national campaign to remind the country that distracted driving crashes can be prevented by modifying driving habits and strengthening auto safety laws.

The National Safety Council reports that motor vehicle deaths surpassed 40,000 for the second consecutive year in 2017. The estimates from the NSC show 4.57 million people were seriously injured in auto crashes.

"Distracted driving—and the ubiquitous use of smartphones behind the wheel—is one of the leading causes for the rise in vehicle crashes nationwide," said Bob Passmore, assistant vice president of personal lines policy at the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI). "Advanced technologies have made cars safer than ever in recent years, so it would be logical to think that roadway crashes and deaths would be decreasing. Unfortunately, vehicle crashes and fatalities are rising sharply across the country. And with more people on the roads for spring break and during the warmer months, the potential for distracted driving crashes increases."

READ MORE...

In addition to our Distracted Driving bill we worked on with Rep. Huval, we also worked with him to introduce HB 752, which requires any insurer doing business in this state to accept a current copy of any MVR procured by a licensed producer or licensed insurance agency on behalf of a client in the quoting and underwriting of personal lines automobile insurance. Proposed law further provides that the motor vehicle report shall be deemed current if the report was issued within 15 days of the requested quote. It also authorizes an insurer who did not receive a current MVR from an agency or producer with the request for a quote to procure any necessary MVR. Proposed law further authorizes the insurer to provide the producer or agency with a current copy of the MVR and charge the actual cost of the MVR to the producer or agency seeking the quote. Proposed law authorizes the producer or agency to charge the client the actual cost of the MVR. The purpose of this bill is to eliminate the need to run and purchase multiple MVRs when shopping an account. To see the bill in its entirety click here. Be on the lookout for grassroots and be ready to respond!

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Advocacy — PIA Federal Legislative Summit April 24-25