Attention teen drivers: No longer will you be able to chat on your cell phones or text your friends while driving. The California State Senate recently passed a bill banning cell phone use and texting by drivers younger than 18. This bill is currently in the California State Assembly and, if signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, will take effect July 2008. The bill would prohibit teens from using cell phones or other mobile-service devices (including walkie-talkies, pagers, two-way messaging devices and Personal Digital Assistants) while driving, even with a hands-free device. Similar bills have already gone into effect around the nation.

California State Senator Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, proposed the bill in hopes of decreasing distractions which cause car accidents, especially among teens. "As I worked for the past six years on my bill that requires all drivers to use hands-free devices when using a cell phone while driving, it became more and more apparent to me that teenage drivers were affected by cell phone use far more than adults," Simitian said.

Supporters of this bill claim that eliminating the distraction of cell phones will decrease the number of fatal teenage deaths. According to a 2001 report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 16-year-old drivers have a crash rate almost 10 times greater than drivers ages 30 to 59. Another report by the Transportation Safety Board shows that car crashes are the leading cause of death for 15 to 20-year-olds. The legislation could decrease these numbers drastically.

"I introduced this bill for one simple reason–it saves lives," Simitian said. "Cell phone use is the number one cause of distracted driver accidents in California. While we might not be able to eliminate all the distractions affecting driver safety, we should eliminate the ones we can."

Principal Noreen Likins supports the new law and believes it should be extended to cover people of all ages. "Every day I see people doing distracting things while driving that astounds me," Likins said. "All hand-held phone devices should be banned for people of all ages, not just minors."

Under the new law if a minor is caught using a cell phone while driving, he will be fined $20 for the first offense and $50 each time after, but the misdemeanor will not appear on the teen's driving record. Furthermore, cell phone use while driving will be considered a secondary offense. Police officers do not have the authority to stop a vehicle for solely committing a secondary offense. However, they do have the right to impose a penalty.