This Just In: California Governor Bars Cellphone Use By Teen Drivers

According to an article at the Los Angeles Times,  California Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed legislation that will prohibit Californians under  18 from using cellphones, text message devices, and laptop computers while driving.

The new law, which will takes effect July 1, 2008, is meant to address the large number of traffic accidents resulting in deaths and injuries, Schwarzenegger said during a signing ceremony at Sequoia High School in Redwood City, adding "This is to eliminate a major distraction for our young, inexperienced drivers and to make our roadways safer for everybody."

As the parent of two teenage daughters, the Governator has already enacted his own cellphone ban in their home, saying "I told my daughters: 'I give you the car. I give you the cellphone, but if I see you one time using both at the same time, both of them are gone.' " Schwarzenegger added, " 'The car will be gone for a long time and the phone will be gone for a long time. You go to school with the bus.' They know that."

When it goes into effect on July 1, 2008, the law will prohibit all cell-phone use, including hands-free devices, by drivers under the age of 18. Meanwhile, the rest of California's drivers must  go hands-free when using their cell phones by the same deadline. Teen violators will face a possible $20 fine for a first offense, and $50 for subsequent offenses.

According to  Teresa Becher, chief of the Golden Gate Division of the California Highway Patrol, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among 16- to 20-year-old. Reducing distractions among new drivers is just one of the methods of encouraging safer driving;  prohibiting the use of cellphones and text message devices is a positive step to ensure safer teen driving.

by Brandy Schaffels
Contributing Editor and mother of a 14-year-old, soon-to-be teen driver.

When it goes into effect on July 1, 2008, the law will prohibit all cell-phone use, including hands-free devices, by drivers under the age of 18. Meanwhile, the rest of California's drivers must  go hands-free when using their cell phones by the same deadline. Teen violators will face a possible $20 fine for a first offense, and $50 for subsequent offenses.

According to  Teresa Becher, chief of the Golden Gate Division of the California Highway Patrol, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among 16- to 20-year-old. Reducing distractions among new drivers is just one of the methods of encouraging safer driving;  prohibiting the use of cellphones and text message devices is a positive step to ensure safer teen driving.

by Brandy Schaffels
Contributing Editor and mother of a 14-year-old, soon-to-be teen driver.

Comments

[CarlyS]

I saw this article in Road King magazine and thought it was a great idea:

A mom comes up with a way to alert motorists that a teen driver is on the road
Any parent who has spent time in the passenger seat, guiding their teenage child through driving lessons,
knows the fear of letting a novice driver out on the road. Getting a license may be easy, but learning the
actual rules of the road takes experience. How do you protect your child? For that matter, how do you protect
yourself from everybody else’s teenager getting behind the wheel?
A mother in Michigan came up with a solution. The Rookie Driver magnet attaches to the back of the car and
alerts fellow drivers that they are sharing the road with a beginner.
Corinne Fortenbacher worked with her 15-year-old son Austin on the wording and design. “After Austin got
his learner’s permit at the license bureau, naturally he wanted to drive home,” Fortenbacher recalls. “As we
were going through a construction area, and he was doing the posted speed limit of 25 mph, a semi came up
behind us and he freaked out a little and slowed down. The trucker beeped at him, and then he got even more
nervous and looked around instead of keeping his eyes on the road.”
Back home, rattled but safe, the two discussed the incident, realizing that the truck driver would have acted
differently if he had known that Austin was a novice driver. They looked for some kind of sign that would
alert other motorists, but Austin instantly rejected the “Student Driver” yellow-and-black stickers available as
embarrassing. So, after consulting with his friends on wording and design, the Fortenbachers came up with
the Rookie Driver magnet. (www.rookiedriverintraining.com)
The concern about teenage drivers is based on fact. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, new teen drivers have a crash rate that is five times the rate for 18-year-old drivers, due to
their inexperience behind the wheel. Since creating and using the magnet, both Austin and his mother have
noticed its effect on other drivers. “One day recently I was changing lanes, and I had plenty of room, but the
woman I was moving in front of held back and gave me a lot of space,” Fortenbacher says. “I didn’t know
why, and then I remembered that Austin was driving the car before me. The Rookie Driver sign was still on
the car.”