California wants to ban teens texting whilst driving

Link: Laws Target Teen Drivers’ Cell Phone Use – Breaking – Technology – smh.com.au
Rather than banning mobile usage completely, California – and a handful of other States – has come up with a nifty idea. They’re planning to ban teens from texting whilst driving.

Narin Leininger knows about the risks of talking on a mobile phone or sending text messages while driving. The 16-year-old high school junior says he’d only use his phone behind the wheel in an emergency _ a flat tire, traffic jam or crash.

But if he ever decided to whip out his phone to chat or text with a friend while steering, he wondered, could anyone stop him?

“There’s no way a cop could see if you’re texting under the steering wheel,” said Leininger, a student at San Francisco’s Lowell High School.

Which of course begs the question – at what age does it become safe to text and drive at the same time?