Bill Aims to Keep Teen Drivers off Cells

Staff Writer

Contributor

0 CommentsPrint ArticleSubscribe

A Democratic Assemblyman in New York has introduced a bill that would ban all drivers under the age of 18 from using cell phones - even hands free devices. Felix Ortiz, representing Brooklyn, is a pioneer in legislation to help make roads safer. In 1996 he intruduced a bill banning cell phone use while driving, and it was signed into law in 2002 - becoming the first such law in the nation. The law doesn't prohibit hands-free or speaker phones, however.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), 120 teen drivers die in car accidents each week. The NTSB issued a report in September calling for cell phone restrictions for all new drivers. Ortiz would like to extend those restrictions to all drivers under the age of 19, no matter how much experience the driver has.