EFFORT TO BAN CAR-PHONE USE REQUIRES CAUTION

Anyone who has spent much time behind the wheel of an automobile likely has had the experience of seeing a driver preoccupied with his or her cellular telephone conversation. In some cases, accidents or near-accidents have occurred as a result.

Cellular phones have become almost as common in automobiles today as a radio. Business people rely on them to stay in touch with their offices and customers. Other people like the security of a cellular phone in their car in case they encounter a problem. Others just like to talk on the telephone regardless of where they are.

In an effort to reduce the dangers of phone use while driving, a Kansas City lawmaker has prefiled a bill in the Missouri Legislature that would make it a misdemeanor to talk on a cellular or digital mobile phone and drive at the same time. State Rep. Marsha Campbell's bill proposes that a violator could be charged with a class B misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and/or a fine of up to $500. If the motorist is talking on the phone and has an accident, he or she could be charged with a class A misdemeanor, which could yield a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. Passengers would be exempt from the law.

Campbell says phone-talking motorists are causing accidents, although the lawmaker could not cite figures. Indeed, some car-phone users can be aggravating and downright dangerous, but making driving while talking on the telephone a crime seems a bit harsh.

There are a lot of things that distract drivers: talking with and paying too much attention to passengers, turning knobs or pushing buttons, drinking a scalding-hot cup of coffee or scrambling to retrieve a cigarette they have dropped in their lap, to name a few. And more often than we like to think, many of us can become distracted from our driving by letting our minds drift off to something else rather than the task at hand.

There are cellular phones available that are voice activated and don't require the use of the driver's hands. Those who can't pay more attention to their driving than the phone conversation they are having should consider an investment in such a system.

Outlawing the use of car phones isn't the answer to the problem, and Campbell will have a tough time trying to sell her proposal to the Missouri Legislature.