Kentucky must act now to stop distracted driving. The Phone Down KY Act can help | Opinion

Some moments in public office stay with you. They’re not about politics or policy, but about people and our serious responsibility to help protect them.

The story of Alyssa Burns is one of those. She joined me during the interim session to tell her story.

In 2022, she was driving on Interstate 71 in Louisville with her fiancé and their little girl, Camberleigh, on a sunny October afternoon. In seconds, everything changed.

A distracted driver, speeding down the interstate, never touched the brakes. The rear-end crash killed Camberleigh in her car seat. The coroner said she was nearly decapitated.

No criminal charges were filed against the man responsible. The police report simply said “inattention.”

We don’t know what distracted the driver, but we know it happens too often. You’ve probably seen it yourself.

In 2024, nearly 5,700 distracted driving crashes occurred in Kentucky. Twenty-seven were deadly. Over the past two years, more than 400 Kentuckians have died because someone wasn’t paying attention.

We can’t keep ignoring this. I won’t.

That’s why I’m filing the Phone Down Kentucky Act in 2026.

Kentucky already bans texting while driving and prohibits drivers under 18 from using phones. But adults can still hold and use phones, as long as they’re not texting. That loophole is dangerous. Every time someone looks down to scroll, swipe, or dial, they take their eyes off the road, hands off the wheel, and mind off driving, putting everyone at risk.

The Phone Down Kentucky Act would extend the current texting ban to nearly all phone use unless hands-free.

I’ve supported similar legislation before. It would ban holding or using a phone while driving, unless it’s hands-free via voice commands, a mount, or Bluetooth. The goal isn’t to punish. It’s to prevent tragedy and save lives.

This bill won’t bring back victims like Camberleigh, but I believe it’s the seed we need to save lives.

Too often, safety laws come after tragedy. As lawmakers, we have a duty to act when stories like Alyssa’s reach us. We’re elected to solve problems, not just talk about them.

Driving isn’t a right. It’s a privilege that comes with the responsibility to drive safely. If putting your phone in a holder or waiting to send a text feels inconvenient, consider what it would be like to lose someone you love. These crashes take lives, shatter families, and leave lasting pain.

Some will argue that the proposal goes too far or is hard to enforce. But is checking a text worth someone’s life? Is any distraction worth ending a child’s future or tearing a family apart? I don’t think so. And I don’t believe most Kentuckians do either.

Alyssa Burns isn’t looking for sympathy. She’s asking for action. She wants to know her daughter’s life mattered and that her death might save others. I believe it can be done, but I can’t do it alone.

I’m asking you to stand with me. Contact your lawmakers. Tell them you support this legislation. Let’s stop talking and start acting.

Camberleigh should’ve had the chance to grow up. Every Kentuckian deserves to get home safely. It’s time to pass this law and stop tragedies like this.

I’ll leave you with this message from Alyssa:

“Remember Camberleigh. Remember her when you get in your vehicle, so that hopefully one day you save yourselves and others from feeling this pain on both ends. Be the reason someone stops driving while on their phone, or road raging, or speeding because it is a choice. Please help me in continuing to make safety the priority.”

Sen. Jimmy Higdon represents Kentucky’s 14th Senate District and serves as Senate Transportation Chair. The 2026 Legislative Session will be Higdon’s final session. He will retire from the state Senate at the end of the calendar year.