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Mar 10, 2008 6:29 pm US/Eastern
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Cell Phone Bill Moves To Senate Floor
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) ―
Hang it up.
Maryland lawmakers are considering a bill to ban hand-held cell phone use while driving a car.
Pat Warren reports, your in-car conversations would have to be hands-free only.
The safety angle is once again the subject of debate.
We've all seen it, and enough have done it...one eye on the road, one hand on the wheel, and one ear glued to the hand-held cell phone.
"Most people that use cell phones know how to drive though, so they're not really a danger to other people," said Tyrone Polley.
Debbie Melbourne thinks there should be a law.
"It should be banned. I have a habit of doing it myself, and I think if it was banned, I wouldn't do it, you know, as frequently as I do. Because you gotta be scared because everybody's acting crazy. You know, driving talking on the phone. Text messaging definitely out, definitely, but if it was a law, I'd definitely abide by it," said Melbourne.
Some see nothing wrong with it, but for those who fear for the safety of themselves and others while on the road, the bill is a step in the right direction.
"I think they might as well make it illegal. I've got my headphone set. It makes perfect sense because make-up, cell phones, and attending kids cause big accidents, so might as well. I got my headphone set in the car," said Myron Russell.
According to Triple A, even hands-free chatting can be a distraction.
"Because the reality is, it's not the holding of the phone that is most dangerous, it's the holding of the conversation," said Ragina Averella with Triple A.
That's what they plan to debate when the bill comes to the floor of the Senate.
The proposal makes hand-held divides a secondary offense with a $50 fine, but it's only if a driver is pulled over for something else like speeding or driving without a seat belt.
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