Bill would limit numbers of teens in a vehicle; forbid cell phones and texting; and require more practice for full license. It’s a dangerous time for those 16 and 17 and their young passengers.
Parents can also keep tabs on the locations and telephone usage via the internet. Their phone service provider has programs that will track travel and usage foe a very low fee. It's a lot cheaper than a funeral for someone texting while driving.
citizen-too
No texting, email or talking on a cell phone. Use only hands free and you will save a lot of accidents and near collisions...
BigBaron55
Being only 20 years old myself, I would definitely think putting these laws into affect would do some good. Teens have so many luxuries that they take for granted. Yes, you wouldn't be able to carpool as much to/from school or extracurricular activities...but how do you think those who do not have their license or may not even be able to afford a vehicle get to these things? They do have school busses that shuttle you around, even if it's not the "cool way to get to school" as a junior/senior.
We should understand that these laws may be put into affect for SAFETY purposes. I don't know how many times I have seen extremely unsafe driving and noticed how young the person was that was doing it. In my commute to and from work every day, which is about a 20 minute trek on the bypass, I am faced with teens in their sports cars tailgating you, weaving in and out of traffic, not using turn signals, and talking on their cell phones. And there are usually 3-4 of them in a line doing all of these things at the same time on the way home from school...(I'm not saying adults don't do these things either)
How often do we read in the paper about teen drivers being killed with a full car of friends? I don't have kids yet, but I would be VERY cautious about who my child would be allowed to ride with and a fellow friend, who i may not even know, would be totally out of the question as a new driver. Parents need to be more strict and get involved with their lives. Know the kids they are driving with, how to contact their parents or how someone can contact you if anything happens. Cell phones before driving age is absolutely uneccesary! Let them know that a cell phone is an EMERGENCY option when driving, and is not to be taken lightly. It is okay to pull over on the side of the road if you need to get a hold of anyone.
American children just have too many freedoms that they take for granted every single day. And unfortunately it has cost many of them their lives.
DesignerK
As to the Cell phone regulation .This needs to be across the board. For anyone operating a Motor Vehicle !
talonsfromheaven
All great ideas. I would make a penalty of a six month suspension of the license if you are caught texting. Make it severe enough and the kids might think twice. I would be fine with this for anyone, by the way.
The only near accident I can remember having as a teen driver was when there were three others in the car. I was not paying attention to the extent that I should have been. Limit the passengers and limit the night driving. How many kids get in accidents speeding home to make curfew?
