SAN FRANCISCO — Narin Leininger knows about the risks of talking on a cell phone or sending text messages while driving. The 16-year-old high school junior says he’d only use his phone behind the wheel in an emergency a flat tire, traffic jam or crash.

But if he ever decided to whip out his phone to chat or text with a friend while steering, he wondered, could anyone stop him?

“There’s no way a cop could see if you’re texting under the steering wheel,” said Leininger, a high school student.

Still, California, Washington and at least 10 other states are considering bills banning teens from using electronic equipment while driving, according to the American Automobile Association. At least 15 states and the District of Columbia have passed bans.

Supporters say teen-specific regulations, which generally amend existing laws that apply to everyone, or add provisions to graduated licensing laws for young motorists, reduce driver distraction and save lives.

Opponents say they’re another example of government meddling in citizens’ private behavior. And, they say, teaching students proper driving skills is a parent’s duty, not the state’s.

California’s bill, which would take effect next summer, would ban 16- and 17-year-olds from using any electronic device while driving, such as cell phones, text messaging devices, laptop computers, pagers, walkie-talkies and handheld computers, even those with “hands-free” features.

Violators of the proposed teen bill would get a $20 fine for the first offense and a $50 fine for subsequent offenses, but they wouldn’t get points on their records.

Last month, police in suburban Phoenix blamed a teen’s text-messaging habit for a head-on crash that killed two people. In June, a head-on wreck in New York’s Finger Lakes region killed five teenagers who graduated from high school five days earlier. Although police didn’t conclusively link texting with the deaths, the crash happened only moments after the 17-year-old driver had sent and received text messages.

The accident prompted New York State Sen. Carl Marcellino to introduce a state bill banning writing, sending or reading text messages while driving.

“You need two thumbs to use these devices. How do you hold the wheel? You have to take your eyes off the road to see the screen or see the letters. It’s terribly dangerous,” the legislator said.