Recently, the Alabama House of Representatives rejected a bill to make it illegal to hold a cellphone while driving. The bill failed with a 48-47 vote. It’s already illegal in Alabama to send or read a text message while driving. Kevin L. Brown, a Republican from Jacksonville, said that his goal was to reduce the number of accidents caused by  people holding phones while driving and save lives.

But guess what? It is illegal for teens already.

The Vance Law Firm website states, “While adults can legally hold their cell phones and chat while driving in Alabama, drivers under the age of 18 cannot. In fact, teens aren’t allowed to use their cell phones in any shape, form, or fashion while driving, and that includes sending and receiving text messages and emails in addition to making and receiving phone calls.” If caught text and driving, the punishment for teens is more severe for teens than adults. In addition to points on your license, you could pay heftier fines. The Law Office of Gary Bruce states, “Fines are more severe for teenagers under the age of 18, who could face fines ranging from $150 to $350.”

I posted a survey for my class, and 10 out of 30 people know someone that was in a car accident due to their phones. One shared, “Yeah, they were looking down at the phone  and slammed into the back of someone.” 

Using your phone while driving is a big problem, especially for teens. According to Edgar Snyder & Associates, teen drivers are four times more likely than adults to get into car crashes or near-crashes when talking or texting on a cell phone. About 390,000 deaths each year are accidents that are caused by texting while driving. In 2017, 3,166 people were killed due to teens on their phones while driving. According to an American Automobile Association poll, 94% of teen drivers know the dangers of texting and driving, but about 35% admitted to doing it anyway.