Local lawmaker wants law to stop distracted drivers

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

(10/02/07 - KTRK/HOUSTON) (KTRK) -- Deputy Constable Jason Norling was killed Monday while issuing a traffic ticket. So far, no charges have been filed against the driver whose car hit him.

The accident involving Deputy Constable Norling has one local lawmaker taking action and it could have you putting up the phone while you are behind the wheel. Constable Victor Trevino wouldn't call for state lawmakers to put new laws on the books to protect officer. But Trevino did say when you look and see that 56 officers in the state of Texas were killed this year in 2007, the constable says it's clear motorist need to pay closer attention.

"I still have the butterflies when I worked the street, when I worked patrol," said Trevino. "And when you make a traffic stop on the freeway, it's very scary."

Constable Trevino spent years on the streets as an HPD officer. Trevino says he knows those are the concerns that officers work through every day as they are out serving and protecting.

"You're trying to do your job," he said. "You want to make it safe for everybody."

That's what Deputy Constable Norling was doing when a distracted driver, eyewitnesses say, was reaching for cell phone when his vehicle struck and killed the lawman.

"When you see those emergency lights, I think people have to be paying attention," said Trevino.

"There are about five states that have banned driving and talking on the telephone unless you have a hands-free device," said state Senator Rodney Ellis.

Houston State Senator Rodney Ellis says after Monday's accident, it's high time Texas lawmakers draft a law that protects those who protect us.

"It's something as simplistic as saying, 'If you want to drive and talk, you have to use a hands free device'," he said. "If that's an intrusion, it's an intrusion I plan to pass."

As you probably know, it's not just cell phones that can lead to distractions behind the wheel. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found reaching for an object while driving increased the risk of a crash by nine times. Reading or applying makeup increased the risk by three times. Dialing a cell phone also increased the risk of a crash by nearly three times. The study also found even though the dangers of distracted driving are already well known, many drivers say they are unwilling to give up their diversions.

A public visitation for Norling will take place Wednesday at the Klein Funeral home in Tomball from 5pm to 8pm.

Norling's funeral will be held Thursday at 11am at Spring Baptist Church on Farm road 2920 off I-45.
(Copyright © 2007, KTRK-TV)

Get more News »