BY KIRSTEN SINGLETON
BLUFFTON TODAY COLUMBIA BUREAU
COLUMBIA - Banning cell phones is not enough, says 14th Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone.
Two weeks ago, Stone said, he pulled up to a stop sign, glanced over at the car next to him and saw two teenagers watching a dashboard TV.
“The guy was literally sitting behind the wheel of his car, watching a music video,” Stone said. “And if he’s watching a music video, he’s not watching the road.”
“Every policeman will tell you that inattention kills,” Stone said.
Rep. Lanny Littlejohn, R-Pacolet, is sponsoring a bill to make it illegal for any driver younger than 18 to “operate a motor vehicle while using a cellular telephone or another wireless communications device when the vehicle is in motion.”
The penalty for a first-time offense would be a one-month suspension of the teen’s driver’s license.
South Carolina teenagers on Tuesday gave Littlejohn’s proposal mixed reviews.
“I think if they’re going to ban cell phones in the car, they should ban cigarettes, too, because they’re equally distracting,” said Jonathan Duncan, student body president of Aiken High School.
Duncan believes teenagers can handle the distraction of chatting on the phone while driving because they have grown up with cell phones.
Aiken sophomore Rachael Leugemos, meanwhile, believes cell-phone use should be banned for all drivers.
“(Drivers on cell phones) are not paying attention,” Leugemos said. “They’re going 10 miles under the speed limit. They’re swerving.”
As the prevalence of cell phones grows, dozens of states are considering legislation to regulate the use of cell phones and other wireless technology while driving.
West Virginia last month barred teen drivers from using hands-free or hand-held cell phones.
Littlejohn’s proposal hasn’t advanced far in the Legislature, but he will defend it again Thursday in a House subcommittee.
Littlejohn said some critics worry that this bill is the first step in banning cell-phone use for all drivers.
According to the National Council of State Legislatures, though, few states have considered a total ban on cell phone use for drivers, instead limiting bans to certain wireless technologies and groups of drivers.
Littlejohn said he’s focusing only on South Carolina’s most inexperienced drivers.
“Lord, they have enough trouble driving right now, without having to use the phone,” he said.
Littlejohn’s bill would have no effect in cases such Carol Zampino’s, who was 26 last November when she allegedly struck and killed a bicyclist while on the phone.
For that, Stone is pushing legislation to create the offense of negligent vehicular homicide.
Littlejohn said his bill allows for emergencies, allows young drivers to have a phone in the car with them and allows passengers to talk on the phone.
Teens just wouldn’t be able to talk and drive simultaneously, he said.
There’s not much time for the House to approve the legislation this session.
In order for the Senate to consider the bill this year, Littlejohn must get the approval of the subcommittee, full Judiciary committee and the full Senate by the end of next week.
Littlejohn said he is optimistic, but will propose the same legislation next session if necessary.
Kirsten Singleton can be reached at kirsten.singleton@morris.com or (803) 414-6611.