Last year was hard for the motorcycling community in Parker, Colorado. They lost two riders when a woman who had been drinking while driving and texting crossed the median and slammed into the couple’s Harley-Davidson. That driver would eventually receive a 20-year sentence, but only because she drank alcohol. If she had only been texting, that driver would have received a $50 fine and one point off her license, and many motorcyclists believe that just isn’t a steep enough penalty.

Can New Laws Help Protect Motorcyclists from Distracted Driving?

Last year proved to be the deadliest on record for motorcyclists on Colorado’s roads. We lost 125 motorcyclists, and the authorities believe that distracted driving was one of the main reasons we saw this spike in fatalities. Authorities have redoubled their efforts to bring these fatalities down, and one of those efforts include a bill.

Senate Bill 27 is an effort to raise the penalty for texting while driving. It will increase the fine from $50 to $500 for the first violation—it will also take 5 points off of your driver’s license instead of the current one point penalty. For a second violation, the penalty increases to $750 instead of $75, plus an additional five points from your license.

Members of the motorcycling community and the family of the Parker couple that passed away testified before the State Affairs Committee. They shared their story of heartache and shock that more wasn’t being done to stop distracted driving in Colorado. They hope that this bill will change all of that.

Right now, Senate Bill 27 sits in limbo as members of that committee discuss the language of the bill, but it could be up for a vote in the legislature soon. The motorcycling attorneys here at the Metier Law Firm will keep you posted on the developments. So, be sure to check back with our blog and post your thoughts on our Facebook and Twitter.