If Spartanburg Rep. Joe Mahaffey's bill is passed teenagers won't be able to drive and use the cell phone at the same time until they obtain a full license.
Everyone should like the idea. Young drivers with less experience behind the wheel should be focusing their attention on driving. But so should older drivers who also may be applying for a license and older drivers who already have a license.
As the number of accidents attributed to inattention while using a cell phone increases, it is imperative that everyone focus their attention on driving.
State troopers of the S.C. Department of Public Safety, local law enforcement officers and others have said recently that the high number of accidents on Interstate 95 in Jasper County can be attributed to inattention.
It's not just teen drivers, or those with a learner's permit, who are inattentive drivers. Some teens are better drivers, at least more attentive drivers, than many adults.
Studies and safety experts have acknowledged that it's just not smart to drive and use a cell phone, though many profess to do so.
Targeting a particular group isn't the answer to the problem. Highway safety is everyone problem. Likewise, everyone must be part of the solution. Teaching beginning drivers that cell-phone use while operating a motor vehicle is a bad idea should be part of the curriculum for high school drivers education courses, as well as that of private instructors. But targeting one group isn't the answer.