Law to mute teen drivers
Share this pageA new law means texting and gabbing on the phone while driving could soon be a thing of the past for teen drivers starting next July.
The state Assembly passed state Sen. Joe Simitian’s proposal to ban the use of cell phones by teen drivers under 18 years old with a 62-5 vote yesterday. The bill, which passed the state Senate in April, now goes back to the Senate for a final vote on Assembly amendments, then on to the governor who has 30 days to sign or veto the bill.
“I introduced this bill to save lives,” Simitian, D-Palo Alto, said.
Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of teen death accounting for 44 percent of all teen deaths nationwide, Simitian said. Sixteen-year-old drivers have a crash rate three times higher than 17-year-olds and five times greater than 18-year-olds and nearly 10 times greater than drivers 30 to 59 years old, according to a 2001 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report.
Full story on San Mateo Daily Journal website