Senate Bill against Teen Driving and Cell Phone Use Fails

Senate Bill 113, proposed by Senator Ross Romero, failed in the 2010 Utah Legislative Session after being amended more than five times. The Deseret Newsreports that due to time constraints on the session, the bill was not resurfaced for additional discussion.

The Bill would have prohibited teenagers from talking on their cell phones while driving with the punishment being a Class C Misdemeanor. A few of the proposed amendments included talking to parents, placing a 911 or other emergency call. Since cell phone use significantly increases the chances of being in a car accident, several members of the community wondered why teenagers were the object of the proposed legislation. They felt the prohibition of cell phone use should be applied to all Utah residents. Opponents to the bill felt the punishments were too severe. Others felt that parents, not the state of Utah, should make the decisions of what their children are allowed to do or prohibited from.

Statistics on Cell Phone Use and Car Accidents

The bill to ban teenage cell phone use while driving was inspired by the statistical evidence that cell phone use of any kind is an immense distraction to drivers and substantially increases the chance of causing a Utah car accident. In December of 2009, the University of Utah released its finding that talking on a cell phone is just as dangerous as when driving drunk. Also, a report released on January 12, 2010, from the National Safety Council reported that 28% of all traffic accidents nationwide are caused by people using talking or texting on cell phones.

If you or someone you love has suffered through a Utah traffic accident injury and you feel it is the result of negligence of another, our skilled Salt Lake City car and motorcycle accident attorneys can help you. You can contact us online or by calling us at (801)-506-0800.