Safety regulators strive to ban cell phone use by novice drivers

WASHINGTON – New drivers have enough things to worry about without adding cell phones and other wireless devices to the mix, federal safety regulators say. They want all states to make it illegal for teenagers and other novice drivers to jabber on phones.

The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday voted to add to its annual list of “Most Wanted Safety Recommendations to States” a ban on novice drivers using any wireless communication devices.

“Learning how to drive while distracted is definitely a recipe for disaster,” said the safety board’s acting chairman, Mark Rosenker.

The NTSB only has the power to make recommendations, but its staff and board members personally lobby – often with success – for changes the board considers most important.

“It does make a difference,” said Judie Stone, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, which supports the ban.

Already, 11 states and the District of Columbia restrict cell phone use among novice drivers, and some ban hand-held cell phones completely, according to the safety board. The states with restrictions on wireless communication while driving are Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee and Texas.