Virginia police would gain authority to bust teenage drivers talking on cell phones or adults texting while driving if one Northern Virginia lawmaker gets his way.
The state Senate last week easily approved a bill that would make it a primary offense for drivers on a provisional license — those 18 and under — to use a cell phone while driving. A separate bill would allow cops to pull over drivers who are texting even if they didn’t violate any other traffic law.
For teen drivers, the law now allows police to issue a ticket for talking on the phone only if the teen is pulled over for another offense, like speeding. As a primary offense, police could pull a young driver over just for talking and driving.
