SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- For teenagers like 17-year-old Adam Bonefeste, part of driving is talking on his cell phone with friends.

"It's the only time I talk on the phone," the Springfield High School senior said. "I talk so much on the phone while I'm in the car, it's just like second nature."

It's a habit he and his friends will have to change if Gov. Rod Blagojevich signs a piece of legislation approved by Illinois lawmakers Wednesday.

The proposal would ban 16- and 17-year-olds from talking on cell phones while driving -- even if they use hands-free devices. Blagojevich spokeswoman Rebecca Rausch did not immediately know Wednesday if the governor would sign it.

Lawmakers hope such a ban will help reduce auto accidents in Illinois by removing a distraction for rookie drivers.

But Bonefeste and Leslie Cornell, also a senior at the school, are convinced their driving isn't affected by talking on the phone.

Besides, she said, adults are probably just as distracted by cell phones, so if the state wants to ban drivers from talking on cell phones, the ban should cover everyone.

The Chicago City Council took that step earlier this month.

Starting in July, anyone caught using a hand-held cell phone while driving in the city can be fined $50 or more; hands-free devices will still be allowed.

Sen. John Cullerton, D-Chicago, a supporter of the bill to keep cell phones out of the hands of young drivers on the road, said he didn't think there was enough support for applying a similar ban on hand-held phones for all drivers statewide.

For drivers who just got their licenses, a cell phone can be a big distraction, Cullerton said. "It's clear that young people who are driving have such a high crash rate because of distractions," he said.

He noted that lawmakers have passed other measures in recent years to limit distractions for young drivers, such as the number of passengers under the age of 18 they can have in a car.

The Senate voted 41-16 Wednesday in favor of the bill to ban cell-phone use by drivers under age 18; the House passed the same legislation 108-6 last week.