OWOSSO (WJRT) -
(02/21/12) - First it was texting, now lawmakers want to ban cell phone use all together when young drivers are behind the wheel. So that means those who have a level two license, which still restricts the teen in some ways, can't dial and drive.
Under the law, young drivers can't call a friend, listen to voicemail or answer a call.
Patrick Humphrey teaches his students the do's and don't's of driving at his Owosso driving school. "I don't even like them using cruise control, because they need to focus on what they are doing all the time."
Humphrey believes minimizing distractions while behind the wheel is critical for new drivers. "I teach my drivers to never take an unnecessary risk. The problem isn't what your hands are doing, it's where you mind is, if you're not focused on driving you will have an accident."
Powering off your mobile device is what Lansing is trying to make law. If the bill passes the House and Senate, 16-year-olds who have passed the driving skills test and have a limited license can't chat and cruise. Fifteen-year-old Kaylee Hittle would be one of them. "I like using my cell phone, but you are safer when you don't use it on the road, it's a smart law."
Driving professionals like Humphrey's say there is no safe way to drive while on the phone, not even hands free. "Statistics don't back up the whole hands free argument, the problem is the mental distraction, not the physical."
If a driver violates the law, they would receive a civil infraction.
