This has been an ongoing debate in the country for a long time now. Few states have even imposed various levels of cell phone usage while driving. Now the National Safety Council (NSC) upped the ante by running a campaign asking for a total ban on even keeping the cell phone turned on while driving a car.

The NSC last week sent letters to governors and legislative leaders in all 50 states, urging them to make the ban part of their motor-vehicle laws. No state currently bans all cell phone use while driving. Six states- California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Utah and Washington DC banned the use of hand-held cell phones behind the wheel.

If one were to read between the lines in the enforced law, then it is perfectly legal to speak using a hands-free set, text messages and even play games in a cell phone while driving (okay, it is actually not possible to play games while driving). But practical experience shows that more than the act of holding the phone and speaking, it's the subject of conversation that is more distracting to the driver.

People today are hooked on to their cell phones like never before. There are attractive cell phone rate plans and cell phone family plans that ensure non-stop connectivity with our near and dear ones. So whether one is eating, changing clothes, in the washroom or driving, people are urged to answer the call on their cell phones, even if it is a telemarketing call.

In fact, NSG's president and chief executive, Janet Froetscher, likened talking on cell phones to drunken driving, saying cell phone use increases the risk of a crash fourfold. To support the claim NSC quotes a dozens studies that have found that using a hands-free phone while driving is no safer than using a handheld one.

A total country-wide ban on all cell phone use while driving would take several years to be implemented. But it's certainly an issue that requires serious attention.

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