But some lawmakers believe that government oversteps its boundaries with harsher restrictions, and that parents should make sure their children are prepared to drive before they are allowed to do so.

Others question whether parents and their teenagers would struggle to complete 50 hours of driving practice. Practice would have to be supervised by a licensed instructor or licensed driver who is at least 25 years old.

Driver’s education classes run by commercial companies can give students extra practice without parental involvement, but can be pricey.

John McCord has operated a driving school in Anderson since 2003. He charges $399 for a beginning driver’s course that includes 30 hours of in-class instruction and six hours behind the wheel of a car. Additional one-on-one driving instruction is $40 per hour.

McCord, who said the minimum six hours only covers the basics of driving, strongly encourages parents to spend whatever time they can observing their teenagers drive from the front passenger’s seat.

That’s why he supports the 50 hours of supervised driving along with the cell phone ban. But it’s not just new or young drivers who need to be careful, he warned.

“I think teenagers are probably the worst with it, but I see a lot of men and women alike driving and taking on their phones,” he said. “Sooner or later, it’s going to get you in trouble.”

The Associated Press contributed to this story.