Even proposals to collect accident information concerning cell phones were easily quashed. In the 2000 legislative year, nine more states have bills pending which would ban cell phones in moving vehicles Arizona, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Wyoming. As with most consumer problems, a better-informed public may be the key to finding a solution. Recent polls suggest that the public may already favor banning hand-held cell phones in cars. But I hope politicians reject this relatively easy compromise, which avoids a larger confrontation with the telecommunications industry.
Studies show no safety advantage using hands-free phones.
Banning hand-held phones may make the problem worse by encouraging more car phone calling. Serious citizens need to start the serious work to ban drivers from using cell phones. They should face heavy fines, loss of points on their licenses and criminal responsibility if they cause an accident while on the phone. Where a ban isn t politically feasible, insurers should be required to make cell phone use a risk factor in setting auto insurance premiums and law enforcement agencies should be required to keep statistics on car phone use in accidents. David Giacalone practiced law for more than 20 years a decade at the Federal Trade Commission, then as a divorce mediator and children s lawyer.