More Discrimination in the Commonwealth

The great state (pardon me, commonwealth) of Virginia just can't stop coming up with discriminatory driving laws. First it was the "abusive driver fees," under which if you drove too fast you could get hit up for a "fee" of $1,050, on top of the normal $200 ticket, but only if you were from Virginia -- the fee wouldn't apply to out-of-staters who drove at the same speed. That got shot down as unconstitutional.

Now, Virginia's Senate has decided that drivers should be ticketed for using a cell phone while driving -- but only teenagers. The current rule is that teenage drivers are prohibited from using a cell phone while driving, but can be ticketed for it only if they are pulled over for another violation. Apparently there's no prohibtion against adults using cell phones while driving.

Look, if cell phone use while driving is dangerous, it's dangerous. I seriously doubt that 50-year-olds are handier with their cell phones than teenagers -- if anything, the reverse seems more likely. Teens are probably worse at driving in general, but whatever added danger is involved in cell phone use, I expect it applies to everybody. Virginia needs good safe driving laws, but they should apply fairly.