Comments:Virginia law bans mobile phone use by teen drivers

The problem is not under 18 year-olds. The problem is the 43-year-old single obese woman who is constantly driving behind my car, talking on her cell phone. I see her there almost every day, and day-in, day-out, she has a cell pressed to her ear, yakking away. This wouldn't be so bad if she were paying attention to me, though. I have the urge to slam on the breaks when I see her, because I'm sure she wouldn't react in time.

I guess what I'm saying is that teens aren't the only troublemakers in the world, and to ban them from talking on their cell phones is discriminatory against youth, which is not something you want to do, considering most of them will be choosing most of our retirement homes. I'm all for removing cellular phones - at least partially - from cars, but I don't think just banning it will stop anyone from doing it, given how ingrained it is.

It's not really the talking that's distracting, anyways -- not any more so than listening to the radio or talking to your mom in the passenger seat. It's pressing the buttons that is dangerous. Solution? Built-in voice-recognition technology right in the car, let alone in your cell. Don't try and eliminate problems because you can never truly do so. Try and resolve them.

LeRob 07:56, 3 April 2007 (UTC)

This law doesn't discriminate driving experience. It discriminates youth.

When someone gets a driver's license, it means that he or she has demonstrated the ability to safely operate a vehicle by that state's standards. Amongst the demographics of both teenagers and adults, both have licensed drivers that drive perfectly and both have licensed drivers that shouldn't be allowed to get behind the wheel. Therefore, to enact a law like this is discriminatory against youth. It has nothing to do about a driver's experience since adults who get their driver's license for the first time are granted licenses with no restrictions. This law allows for situations where an adult driver who has less driving experience than a teenager to operate a mobile phone while driving! Where's the logic in that? These laws don't reflect safety as much as they reflect discrimination. If you are concerned about inexperienced drivers operating hand-held devices while driving, then make a law that requires ALL newly licensed drivers a two-year restriction on being able to use these devices before being allowed to use them.

Bapinney 16:23, 3 April 2007 (UTC)