WASHINGTON-The Michigan House of Representatives passed legislation making it illegal for teens under 18 years old to talk on cell phones while driving.
The bill, sponsored by Democratic state Rep. David Law, imposes a $50 fine on violators. The measure now goes to the Senate for consideration.
Law said his legislation is a public-safety issue he became aware of while working in the Oakland County prosecutor’s office.
“I saw cases where young, inexperienced drivers were talking on cell phones and caused major accidents,” said Law. “That one mistake can forever change their lives and the lives of those on the road with them. New drivers need to have their full attention on the road, and this is one major distraction that we in the legislature can limit. The faster we can get this legislation signed into law, the faster driver-education classes can start spreading the word and the safer our roads will become.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 15- to 20-year-old drivers. The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended that states adopt legislation addressing the correlation between increased youth accidents and cell-phone use.
Law said the NTSB, T-Mobile USA Inc., Cingular Wireless L.L.C., Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard and the Deputy Sheriff Association support his bill.
The House Judiciary approved the bill by a 14-0 vote Oct. 12. Testifying on behalf of Law’s bill was David Zulna, the police 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.”
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.
