WASHINGTON-The Michigan House of Representatives could vote this week on a bill banning teens under the age of 18 from talking on cell phones while driving.
“When I was working in the Oakland County prosecutors’ office, I saw several cases where accidents and even deaths were caused by inexperienced drivers talking on the phone,” said Rep. David Law (R). “The distraction of cell phones coupled with driver inexperience is a dangerous combination. This legislation will protect those on the roads and give parents some much-needed peace of mind.”
The House Judiciary approved the bill-which carries a $50 fine for offenders-by a 14-0 vote last Wednesday.
Testifying on behalf of Law’s bill was David Zulna, the sergeant in charge of traffic for West Bloomfield, Mich. “There have been numerous studies that show cell-phone use while driving causes accidents,” said Zulna. “But the numbers underlie the problem that I see while policing West Bloomfield and notice dangerous driving behavior caused by young people talking on the phone. We have a chance this morning to make a very good start in limiting these types of accidents.”
The National Highway Safety Administration said motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 15- to 20-year-olds. The National Transportation Safety Board previously recommended that states adopt legislation addressing the correlation between increased youth accidents and cell-phone usage.
The Michigan House GOP said the Law measure is backed by the NTSB, T-Mobile USA Inc. Cingular Wireless L.L.C., Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard and the Deputy Sheriff Association.
Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and the District of Columbia have enacted wide bans on driving while talking on handheld wireless phones, except in specific situations, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. The group said 10 states-Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Tennessee and Texas-and the District of Columbia restrict the use of cellular phones by teens in the graduated licensing system.
