Jan 12, 2009 6:15 pm US/Eastern
Group Wants To Ban Cell Phones While Driving
WASHINGTON (WJZ) ―
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It's a plan to save lives by eliminating driver distraction. A national safety group wants to ban cell phone use altogether behind the wheel.
It's a plan to save lives by eliminating driver distraction. A national safety group wants to ban cell phone use altogether behind the wheel.
Weijia Jiang reports the proposal is likely to be a tough sale.
The National Safety Council looked at 50 different studies all concerning the use of cell phones behind the wheel of a car. The conclusion is drastic.
You see it everywhere--drivers with cell phones glued to their ears while maneuvering through traffic.
Harvard University researchers report cell phones cause six percent of vehicle crashes, ending in 2,600 deaths and 12,000 serious injuries a year.
"I mean, what's the problem? Pull over. Make a phone call, hello, goodbye, that's it. Safety, safety first," said Elmer Bullock, Baltimore City bus driver.
Safety is first and foremost for the National Safety Council. The group wants drivers to stop using all cell phones even if they are hands-free.
Maryland Senator Mike Lenett says banning all devices may be overzealous. On Wednesday, he will introduce a bill in Annapolis to ban hand-held phones first.
"The hand-held introduces an element of a physical distraction, in addition to the attention distraction you have with both hands-free and hand-held," said Lenett.
Many motorists have already made the switch and agree that banning all devices is not practical in these busy times.
"I just purchased something for my visor, so I wouldn't have to hold my phone," said one driver.
"I get phone calls, and I conduct business while I'm driving 'cause some of the accounts are an hour away," said another driver.
But AAA spokesperson Ragina Averella says hands-free does not mean danger free.
The organization supports a broader bill with the same idea as the National Safety Council.
"We're concerned with a hands-free legislation, it would give motorists a false sense of security or safety that they're safer because they have an earpiece and not holding the phone, but research shows that's not really the case," said Averella.
Right now, no state bans all cell phone use while driving. Six states have outlawed hand-held cells, and 17 states, along with Washington, D.C., don't allow new drivers to use them behind the wheel.
The National Safety Council reports more than 200 million drivers use their cell phones while driving.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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