States hang up on teenage drivers

It's hard to imagine today's teenagers going without the use of their cellphones even for the time it takes to drive to school or to the movies, but that's just what Maine's Senate is hoping to get them to do, reports the Associated Press.

In response to a rise in traffic accidents caused by distracted drivers, the Maine legislature has crafted a bill that that prohibits any driver who's younger than 18 years old from operating a motor vehicle while using a mobile phone.

The cell phone industry responded to the proposal by claiming that cell phone use was a factor in less than 1 percent of all accidents. They argue that if legislature target cellphones, they should also ban eating , shaving and applying make-up while driving.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, other states including California, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut have banned hand-held phone use by drivers. Colorado in 2005 banned teens with restricted licenses from talking on cell phones while driving.