State law requires novice drivers to have a beginner's permit for 180 days, pass a driver safety course, have 40 hours of practice, meet school attendance requirements and pass a road test before they can receive a driver's license. Under the bill passed by the Senate, a teen defensive driving course would be added. The requirement would not go into effect until the state Department of Public Safety approves a program that would be set up in every county.

The more new drivers learn at an early age about the need to drive defensively, the better. As experienced drivers know, we suffer not only from our own mistakes on the road but also from those of others.

Teenage drivers have an extremely high accident rate, including fatalities, compared to most other age groups. In 2006, 12.9 percent of all drivers involved in fatal crashes were ages 15 to 20, and vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for that age group.

Instruction in ways to avoid accidents, while they might seem second nature to older drivers, could help save the lives not only of young drivers but also the victims of their poor driving habits.

Studies have determined that one of the primary causes of accidents among teen drivers is distractions inside the car. Therefore, a law that would have barred beginner drivers with learner permits and restricted licenses from using cell phones while operating a car seemed like a logical way to reduce the hazard.

Similar legislation has been introduced in the House regularly since 2001, but each time it has failed. This year, critics argued that the bill is a slippery slope that one day could lead to a variety of vehicular bans such as eating in the car, fiddling with the radio or combing hair.

We see the point. But legislators can limit bans at their discretion.

We know, however, that cell phones are a relatively new but clearly dangerous distraction for drivers -- not just teens but drivers of all ages. They are not passive, like listening to a radio. They require significant attention that should be used for driving.

The proposed bill would have affected only beginner drivers, those who need to be using all their faculties to learn the ins and outs of driving. Requiring them to stay off their cell phones whenever they are behind the wheel makes perfect sense. Similar legislation has been passed in 17 other states.

S.C. lawmakers defeated a bill that would have enhanced the safety of young drivers because of the unlikely threat to the right to comb one's hair while driving. That, we think, is a lame argument.

We hope lawmakers will come to their senses on this issue next year.