California passes law banning teen drivers from using cell phones

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Story Published: Sep 14, 2007 at 1:55 PM EDT

Story Updated: Sep 14, 2007 at 1:57 PM EDT

With the stroke of a pen, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger made
California the first state to outlaw the use of cell phones, PDA's and all other electronic devices by teen drivers.

The new law will take effect in July of 2008 and will apply to all drivers under 18-years-old.

Car crashes are the #1 cause of death among people ages 16 to
24.

A recent study showed teen drivers were 4 times more likely to be distracted by cell phones than adults.

In Fairport, New York police said a 17-year old driver may have
been text messaging at the time of a deadly crash that killed five
teenage girls.

And in Phoenix another 17 year-old was killed after texting while
driving.

Reaction to the ban among California teens was mixed.
Some say the ban is a good idea, but others argue that teens shouldn’t be held to a different standard than other drivers.

Sixteen other states and Washington D.C. already have partial cell phone bans in place for teens and other drivers.

Now, California goes one step further hoping to save lives.

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