Bill targets teen cellphone use. But is it enough?

SALT LAKE CITY — Megan McCombs and Abbey Park aren't driving yet, but they know even as passengers that drivers and cellphones don't mix.

The two 15-year-old East High School students said that they've felt fear when their peers picked up the phone while driving. And their anxiety goes beyond their fellow teenagers to all motorists using cellphones.

"Whenever they're on the phone, it kind of freaks you out," Park said.

"They make me nervous," McCombs added.

A proposed Senate bill, SB128, sponsored by Sen. Ross Romero, D-Salt Lake City, would ban the use of cellphones while driving for those under the age of 18, with an exception for emergency situations or talking with parents or legal guardians.

But Richard Moody, a Sandy resident whose children are grown, said cellphones are not just a problem for teenagers. He said restrictions on their use would be good practice for everyone.  

"It doesn't matter how young you are or how old you are, what's good for one is good for all," he said. "It's just a dangerous situation."

McCombs, Park and Moody agreed the cellphone ban should be applied to all drivers, a stance supported by the National Transportation Safety Board, which urged all states in December to crack down on use of the devices.

Handheld devices are currently banned or restricted while driving in 9 states, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. Thirty states ban cell phone use by novice drivers.

Romero said a bill that would have applied to all Utahns was proposed several years ago but was met with little support in committee hearings. He credited a group of teenagers who came to support that bill with providing the  "inspiration" for the current legislation. 

"These individuals are just learning to operate motor vehicles," Romero said. "They don't have experience behind the wheel, they are the group that is most engaged in cellphone use, either texting or talking, so giving them a couple of years until they're 18 and off to college to focus on driving made a lot of sense."

The bill is part of a larger public information initiative meant to encourage more responsible driving and would levy only small penalties — a fine of $50 and no impact on an individual's driving record. A violation would be classified as an infraction and would not carry points that could be assessed against one's driver license.