As a mother of two teenage drivers, Garcia believes it's imperative that young and inexperienced drivers be free of distractions while driving.
"Not only are they risking their own lives but the lives of others when they are driving around in a 2,500-pound vehicle at 60 and 70 mph ... and socializing on a cellphone," she said.
CHP Lt. Joe Whiteford has seen his share of distracted drivers chatting on their cellphones and risking the safety of other motorists.
He recalled the time he was in his patrol car at an intersection when a teenage driver "blew right through a red light and almost hit me. He never even saw me, he was too busy talking on the cellphone. It was scary," says Whiteford, who ticketed the driver.
In fact, a study of 18-to-25-year-old drivers by the University of Utah found that when young drivers are talking on their cellphones while driving, their reaction time is comparable to that of a 70-year-old, which increases their risk of having an accident.
The traffic agency's policy statement on cellphone usage says research shows that driving while using a cellphone can pose "serious cognitive distraction and degrade a driver's performance."
The agency estimates that driver distraction contributes to 25% of all police-reported traffic crashes.
Assemblyman Bill Maze (R-Visalia) has proposed a bill that would create a night-driving curfew for provisional drivers of 11 p.m. The current curfew is midnight. His bill would also restrict provisional teen drivers from having other teens in the car for one year.
Currently, the law prevents them from driving with other teens for the first six months they have their licenses. (Provisional licenses restrict teens' driving hours and whom they can transport in the first year of driving.)
State Sen. Jackie Speier (D-Hillsborough ) is proposing a bill that would allow police to stop teens who may be suspected of violating teenage driving laws. The bill would also allow police to ticket parents who knowingly allow their teenagers to violate the rules. Speier also proposes requiring new teen drivers to have a placard in their vehicles that identifies them as provisional drivers.
That idea has already drawn some criticism from students and parents, including Garcia and Maze, who fear young drivers could be unfairly targeted by authorities.
