Friday,  May 25, 2012 • Vol. 12--No. 316 • 17 of 36 •  Other Editions

(Continued from page 16)

adults who can change things. Among the adults who were listening were two state lawmakers, a highway patrol officer, insurance representative and a TV news anchor.
• The teens cited studies showing that South Dakota is last in safe teen driving. According to the state Department of Health, 70 percent of deaths among teens and younger children are because of automobile accidents. In the past five years, crashes involving teen drivers in South Dakota claimed 128 lives.
• The students urged policymakers to see that a distracted driving law is passed in South Dakota.
• "Today's drivers have shown us they are not responsible enough to abstain from distracted driving on their own," said Stevens High School sophomore Chase Conrad. "I propose bans on all mobile devices in motor vehicles."

• House Majority Leader David Lust, R-Rapid City, who voted against banning texting while driving during this year's legislative session, said laws by themselves are not going to change anything.
• "As we have seen by, frankly, the failure of laws in the area of drunk driving, laws are not going to solve the problem," Lust said. "It's changing attitudes and habits."
• Personal responsibility is a strong component of highway safety, but there are other people on the highway. Public awareness cam

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