GREAT HANG UP- The National Transportation Safety Board proposes all 50 states ban any use of a cell phone or other mobile device, including those with hands-free operation while driving.
The NTSB also proposes electronics changes so a driver's phone could be disabled while driving. The NTSB can offer recommendations but not make laws.
35 states, including California, currently have "no texting while driving" laws and there is debate over their effectiveness. The California no-texting law took effect in 2009. Law enforcement has suggested it can take a few years for driver behavior to change, as was the case with seat belt and drunk driving enforcement.
The California Highway Patrol announced a grant will help them step up enforcement efforts against distracted driving in January .
The idea of whether a total ban would help is drawing heated debate on our News10 facebook page:
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also released survey results this past week revealing two out of 10 drivers text and use their cell phone. Most drivers say there are few occasions when they would, but think other drivers that do so are dangerous. The survey also found texting and driving is up 50 percent.
TAKE THE PLEDGE NOT TO TEXT AND DRIVE
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