Cell Watch

House to decide if minors can drive, call

Stephanie Strauss / Senior writer

A bill passed in the Virginia Senate last month will prevent teens under the age of 18 from talking on cell phones while driving.

The bill won passage in the Senate with a vote of 32-7, and will now advance to the Virginia House of Delegates.

Teens violating the law will also be ticketed if they do not wear seatbelts, according to the bill.

"We feel that the teen driver with the provisional license and a learner’s permit should be dedicated to one single act, and that is the awesome responsibility of driving a car," said the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Jay O’Brien, to the Associated Press.

Freshman Emily Nilsen said, "My friend flipped his car while I was on the phone with him and that scared me out of using my cell phone for awhile. I’m not sure that they necessarily need a law completely outlawing it — maybe they should allow kids under 18 to use their phones while driving if they have a headpiece."

Critics of the bill said it was unreasonable to expect police officers to accurately guess the ages of drivers to identify them as minors.

Sen. William C. Mims said to AP, "In many municipalities, there are curfews at midnight ... and they apply only under age 18 and local police have to make the determination about whether to stop someone when they look young."

The bill also dictates a curfew from midnight to 4 a.m., except when the minor is responding to an emergency, going to or from work or a school-sponsored activity or driving beside a parent.

"I think if they are going to pass a law about not talking on cell phones when driving, they need to apply it to everyone," freshman Margot Aaronson said. "Maybe people under 18 have more of a chance of causing an accident than someone older, but the risk is still there for someone older too. This is probably a good bill to pass because it will help reduce accidents that could have been prevented."

Other students expressed similar opinions. "This is a good idea; it may decrease the number of accidents," freshman Ashley Alexander said.

Freshman Katie Anderson said, "I have never actually gotten in an accident but I have come dangerously close while I was on a cell phone. I feel it is a little inconvenient, though it is better to be safe than convenient."