GUEST EDITORIAL: SENATOR TOM YOUNG JR.

Opinion: How the Hands-free Cellphone Bill is a Step toward Safer South Carolina Roads

By Sen. Tom Young 

Chairman, Senate Family and Veterans' Services Committee 

Republican - Aiken District 24

Published 1:00 p.m. ET Mar. 20, 2025

Due to life's busyness, it is often tempting to turn to our smartphones while driving. Whether scrolling through Instagram, checking a work email, or answering a text from a friend, the temptation to use your cellphone is undeniable. However, just answering a simple text can become deadly for you and others on the road. This then makes South Carolina roads increasingly more dangerous, and the death toll in car accidents and collisions rises. That is why I have sponsored a bill in the South Carolina Senate that will aim at the ultimate ban of cellphone use while driving unless the said driver is using a hands-free device. 

This bill, which the South Carolina Senate has most recently approved, is an important step in order to reduce accidents caused by distracted driving. Some may argue that the banning of using a cell phone while driving is unnecessary; however, the data from car accidents and distracted driving in South Carolina tell a different story. According to data from the South Carolina Department, distracted driving is a contributing factor in more than 20,000 collisions each year in South Carolina. Nationally, there were 3,308 people killed due to a distracted driver, with an additional 289,310 people injured in motor vehicle traffic crashes involving distracted driving in 2022. These are not just statistics; these are lives that have been lost, families that have been devastated, and communities that have been rattled. 

Texting is the most alarming distraction. By sending or reading a text, it takes your eyes off the road for approximately 5 seconds. If you are driving at the speed of 55 mph, that is equivalent to driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed. By texting, the likelihood of a crash thus becomes 23 times more likely to happen. 

The evidence is extremely clear: using a cell phone while driving is incredibly risky. The human brain is not equipped to be able to multitask in such a high-stakes environment because our reaction time slows down, and we become less aware of our surroundings, thus endangering ourselves and others. This is a risk that we can no longer be taking. 

South Carolina is not the only state in the U.S. to enact laws against using a cell phone while driving. Both Georgia and Rhode Island have passed similar laws, resulting in a decrease in traffic fatalities and a reduction in cellphone-related crashes. I urge the South Carolina House of Representatives to act quickly and pass this crucially important bill. This is a bill that will make a real difference in the lives of the citizens of South Carolina by creating protection from the dangers of distracted driving.