The Top 5 Cell Phone Laws for Teenage Drivers In Texas

We all do the best that we can to ensure that our teens have the best possible chance to succeed in life. What if you knew that your teen could be arrested for simply using their cell phone? Did you know that at least 10 bills addressing texting and driving were considered during 2011 by Texas lawmakers? Here are 5 cell phone laws that you and your teen need to be aware of before it’s too late.

Restricted Cell Phone Use

Teens under the age of 18 with a license are restricted from any wireless communications device use while driving in the state of Texas. Make sure that if your teen has a cell phone, they are aware of the consequences of using their phone while driving.

Learner’s Permit Restrictions

Teens with a learner’s permit are restricted from using any handheld cell phone during the first six months of driving.

School Crossing Zones

All drivers in the State of Texas are prohibited from using their cell phones in school crossing zones. This includes texting and talking on your cell phone.

Restrictions on Texting

Texting is now partially restricted for Texas drivers according to House Bill 243 that was passed in April of 2011. Although drivers are allowed to receive text messages while driving, they are no longer allowed to type or send messages of any kind. If caught texting while driving, you could be fined up to $200 dollars.

Teen Sexting Laws

Sexting is what occurs when cell phone users send each other sexually explicit messages on their wireless devices. Previously, anyone who transmits sexually explicit pictures of minors over wireless communications devices would be charged with a felony for trafficking or possessing child pornography. A new law would change the felony charge to a Class C misdemeanor charge for underage first-time violators.

It is difficult to always be aware of the new laws that are put into place. Unless you constantly monitor the news, you might not be aware that you could be doing something illegal. Teens are especially vulnerable to this because they are not experienced drivers and they can be easily overwhelmed with new rules and expectations placed on them.

What laws have your teens violated? What laws were new to you? Let us know!

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Worried about your teen and their cell phone? Check out our video on Teen Cell Phone Dangers. For just $19.99, it could save your child’s life.

What’s the Best Way to Protect Your Teen From Their Cell Phone?

Some say that technology is the best protection for kids from cell phone issues, and there’s no question that technology is important. Items like Kajeet are great ways to helps teens and kids become more responsible with cell phones.

Does that fix the problem, though? Hardly.

Why Is Technology Not Enough?

Technology is not enough because it’s an after-the-fact solution. History shows that all rules can be broken if someone really wants to break them.

Therefore, the only real way to get through to your kids is to help them understand why the rules exist.

What Education Really Works For Teens

Parents know that kids have tuned them out (for the most part) by the time their kids turn 12 or even earlier. Therefore, other kids and adults may have a better time getting through to teens.

Our teen cell phone video is one of those methods. It gives lessons not just from Mom and Dad, but from lawyers, doctors, and other teens.

Take some time to look at our preview and see for yourself if a little education plus technology isn’t the right thing for your teen. Click here for a preview

From Cell Phone to Porsche: A Teen Cell Phone Success Story

There are a lot of scary stories out there about teens and cell phones, so we thought we would share an uplifting story this week.

A 17 year-old from Glendora, CA worked for two years to get a Porsche from Craigslist. He started with just trying to sell a cellular telephone. With patience and a knack for bartering, this teen worked his way up to a Porsche. The whole story is found at this link.

Of course, safety is key at TeenCellSafety.org, so we should point out that parents should closely monitor what their teens do on the Internet and with their cell phones. However, it’s very nice to see that some teens are putting good use to their cell phones, as opposed to putting up embarrassing or illegal pictures or becoming dangers on the road.

Please share your stories of positivity and pride in your teens. We want to hear them.

What Controls Should I Place On My Teen’s Cell Phone?

We all know that appropriate education and discussion are the best tools for protecting our teens from their cell phones, but what happens when that’s not enough?

Jen Klein, mom and author of the article “How Much is Too Much?,” (found at this link via SheKnows.com) describes a great use of technology to rein in a slightly rebellious teen.

Basically, Ms. Klein explains the “usage control” allowed for by her service provider. It allowed her to

“set up and manage [her teen’s cell phone use] on the Web, . . . set the number of text message and voice minutes he has, set up time limits for using his phone (ergo, not during homework time or middle of the night), and define trusted numbers (phone number that always go through) and blocked numbers (numbers that never go through) for his phone. [These settings] can [be] adjust[ed] at any time.”

At TeenCellSafety.com, we support Ms. Klein’s use of technology to strengthen the guidance provided to her son.

What other technology have you used to help your teen understand their cell phone and how to use it? Please share your stories, both the successes and the misses. We want to hear from you!

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COMING SOON – SPECIAL REPORT ON

TEEN CELL PHONE SAFETY

TeenCellSafety.org is about to launch its free Special Report on Teen Cell Phone Safety. Check back soon for details!