Law may ban cell calls by young drivers

[FernBell]

A DeKalb County lawmaker wants to make it illegal for 16- and 17-year-olds to use a cellphone while driving.

Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur) also wants Georgians to be charged with "driving while distracted" if they are talking on a phone and get in a wreck.

.......

Oliver said the "driving while distracted" bill is based on a new DeKalb County measure that imposes a fine of up to $500 for drivers who cause a wreck while talking on mobile phones. Oliver's bill, which would include fines of up to $500 and the loss of one point on a driver's license if convicted, would allow for motorists to challenge the charge if they can show the call did not contribute to the accident.

.......

"I think the privilege we give teenagers to drive should be narrow given the inherent dangerousness of beginning drivers," she said. "Using a cellphone for even experienced drivers causes distractions. We should attempt to eliminate those distractions for teenagers."


http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2006/11/15/1116metphone.html

[aquart]

1. Like older people do it more responsibly. HAH!

[AIJ Alom]

3. I agree. 14th Amendment: Equal Protection Under the Law !

I used to date a girl in college that would talk on the phone, do her nails, change radio stations, and still drive well. Never got into an accident. Then my ultra-careful now ex got into an accident because yielded to one vehicle and was struck by a second taking advantage of the first yield.

[MADem]

2. That is easily the STUPIDEST law I've ever heard of!

And from a Democrat, no less. How will it be enforced? Will Officer Bill have to take classes in determining if a driver is seventeen, or twenty? What happens when he pulls over the eighteen year old? Can they sue for false apprehension?

This legislator seems to want to be able to keep talking on HER phone, thus the age limitation.

I say pull over and talk. Sheesh.

[Canuckistanian]

4. Pffftftft! Try and enforce THAT one

16 and 17 years olds would have cell phones IMPLANTED to get around this law.

[Kiouni]

5. another law taking away just cause

we just give discrimination another tool. and whats to stop teens from wearing hands free headsets.

[EnviroBat]

6. 16 & 17 year old's are generally too stupid to be driving anyway.

Raise the driving age to 21. Teenager's, take the f'ing bus! Traffic is bad enough without having a constant procession of self-absorbed, smart-ass little dip-shits on the road causing accidents. I just witnessed ANOTHER ONE last night! The second accident this month involving a teenager. Yes, I was once one too, but I treated driving like a privilege, not a de-vine right. My parents laid out simple, hard-fast rules for me. Get a ticket, or have an accident, and I would be walking for a year following said occurrence. And yes, we were different back then. Back then we had RESPECT!

[Ammonium]

7. Um sorry

You can raise the driving age to 21 and you'll still have the same inexperienced drivers, they'll just be 21 instead of 16. The problem is that defensive driving classes are no longer a requirement in schools, as they should be, so you have a lot of drivers who doesn't have a clue. Have you seen the drivers test now-a-days? The parallel parking space is like 25' long. My volvo only took up half the space when I did my test years ago. Not to mention my test never required me to take my car outside of the parking lot in which the test took place.

You want better drivers?
1. Make the drivers test twice as hard
2. Put defensive driving classes back in schools or make them free to the general public

Simply raising the age requirement claiming it will make things better is naive, sorry.

[RubyDuby in GA]

8. Bingo! We have a winner!

But drivers ed won't be implemented because there is simply no money in the budget. It's like Republicans don't value teenagers' lives. Or that should be the Democratic message anyway.

[Lothar]

10. Translation:

"Hey you damn kids, get off my lawn road!"

[Laelth]

9. I'd prefer vastly improved public transportation ...

... along with a $1.00/gallon state surtax on gasoline, plus raising the age for a learner's permit to 17, with mandatory defensive driving (free for low-income families) and 18 being the age for a drive-alone license.

... but that's just my wish list on the subject. ;)

:dem:

-Laelth

[Dulcinea]

11. It should be banned for everyone!

I, for one, am SICK AND TIRED of nearly being annihilated by some dumbass on a cell phone who's paying more attention to their bullshit conversation than the road! Cell phone users are as dangerous as drunk drivers. Therefore, the penalty should be the same! :rant:

[RubyDuby in GA]

12. As a woman who can put on makeup and drive, I take offense

at the stupid woman who nearly ran me over this morning because she was trying to put on mascara. I personally think drivers ed would benefit every single person in this state.

Cell phones aren't the only thing that's wrong with drivers in GA.