For most teens, turning 16 is a right of passage. No more having to rely on mom or dad for a ride. However, with a new law already put into effect, there are more restrictions being put on new drivers.

   A recent law, making it illegal for those under the age of 21 to send, receive or read an electronic message, went into action about a month ago.

   We are not here to bash the law. We see no problem with it. The only thing that perplexes us is the age limit.

   What happens on a person’s 21st birthday that all of the sudden makes texting while driving acceptable and safe?

   Yes, we recognize the fact that most accidents are caused by young drivers. But who is to say that a 48 year old can text more easily or safely than a 20-year old?

   The public likely wants to see some enforcement. They would like to see no texting while driving. And that makes sense. 

   When you’re operating a vehicle while texting, you’re devoting considerable attention to doing the texting. And that doesn’t change with maturity.

   “I think he/she (the sponsor of the bill) may have felt there might be resistance to the passing of it if it would have been all ages,” said Lieutenant Kurt Manlove of the Springfield Police Department. “You know there is a strong belief that the government really should not intrude inside of a car and I’m not so sure I disagree with that. In other words, what we do in our car is our business. So long as we’re not drinking and driving. But I think that age may have been an issue in order to help get that passed.”

   Determining the age of the person texting is one bar that officers will have to be able to jump. It will be difficult for them to enforce because not only does age come into play, the person has to be texting and not making a phone call. 

   “Where you may see most of this enforcement coming into play is maybe after a crash in which someone in the car would say if the driver was texting,” said Manlove. “And then if they admit to texting, that’s where we might see the majority of the enforcement. And they have to be moving. Not only does the officer have to determine age, whether they’re texting or making a phone call, but they also have to be moving which doesn’t make it all that safe for an officer to be looking for those kinds of violations as well.”

   Although no tickets have been issued yet in Springfield, this is something that teens can be pulled over for.

   “It is deemed as an infraction and a moving violation,” said Amy Site with the Greene County Prosecutors Office. “It could result in points against your license. There’s a criminal side where you can be guilty for demeaning a violation. There’s also an administrative side which deals with the infraction.”

  Another reason to question the age limit of this bill is that statistics reveal more than one-third of all drivers, ages 24 and under, are texting on the road. 

   So, why 21?

   One of the bill’s sponsors offered an explanation.

   “Instead of jumping all the way into it, we thought ‘what do we need to do to be able to enforce this law?’” said sponsor of the Bill, Missouri Representative Scott Lipke. “We’re going to try it out on an age limit and see how it does.”

   The original plan of the House of Representatives was to make texting while driving illegal. Period.

   However if you ban it altogether, people will start asking other questions.

   Are we going to ban talking on the phone while driving?

   Eating?

   Putting on makeup?

   Changing the radio?

   Bottom line: an age limit was apparently needed according to legislation. But that doesn’t make it right.

   “It’s definitely brought more attention to the danger of texting,” Lipke said. “Hopefully people will be more aware of it, ages 21 and under or not. Maybe older people will try to make a change in their behavior as well.”

   We’ll see. We’re watching.