Cell Phone Ban Bill For Teen Driver's Contemplated In General Assembly

Now that the Georgia General Assembly has reconvened to tackle this year’s important tasks and to address the State’s needed changes, one topic that is expected to come up soon concerns the use of cell phones by teens while driving.

According to the gwinnettdailypost.com:

A bill prefiled in the House for this winter’s legislative session would prohibit 16-year-old and 17-year-old drivers from using cell phones. The measure also would apply to holders of learner’s permits.

“They’re very inexperienced,” Oliver said. “We restrict their driving privileges in many ways now. … This is a very reasonable restriction.”

“The research shows use of cell phones is comparable to driving drunk with a blood alcohol content of 0.08,” she said, referring to the minimum blood alcohol level now considered legally intoxicated under Georgia law. “It makes you four times more likely to have an accident.”

This bill when discussed by the General Assembly just might have the momentum and support to become law by the end of this Session. Strong empirical evidence like that of the study above shows teens are more likely to be involved in an auto accident if they are one the phone. Driving is hard enough without any other complicating factors or distractions. If this bill would help promote safer drivers at an early age and help save innocent lives, what more is there to talk about?