House OKs bill banning teen drivers' phone use

Despite the objection to Utah's becoming a "nanny state," House members Tuesday passed a bill that would make it a secondary traffic offense for any minor to drive a car while talking on a cell phone or text messaging while driving.

Rep. Kory Holdaway, R-Taylorsville, a school teacher, is the sponsor of HB217, which says that no one under 18 can use a cell phone improperly.

"We're becoming a nanny state," said Rep. Chris Herrod, R-Provo, trying to protect people from themselves. "When I want to talk to my 16-year-old daughter and tell her to come home right now, she's safer doing that than staying out late, or pulling over to the side of the road (to talk on her cell phone) where she could be mugged."

A number of exceptions were put into the bill, including that improper cell phone use could only be charged if the teenage driver were pulled over for another driving offense, and you could still make a cell phone call in an emergency, to report a crime, as part of your job or if you use a wireless headphone.

The bill now goes to the Senate.