National Ban on Cellphone Use While Driving Proposed

This issue of distracted driving, either texting or talking on a cellphone while at the wheel, has moved from local tragedies like the 2010 crosswalk death of to the national agenda.

On Thursday, U.S. Transportation Secretary called for a federal law to ban talking on a cell phone or texting while driving any type of vehicle on any road in the country.

Do you do it? Vote in our poll below.

It's become what he called a "national epidemic" of distracted driving, according to a Reuters report. LaHood make the comments at a distracted-driving summit in San Antonio, Texas, that drew doctors, advocates and government officials.

LaHood has at a state level to control distracted driving, but calling for a federal law prohibiting the practice takes his effort to a new level.  At present 38 states have laws on the books restricting or outlawing using an electronic device while driving.

A  conducted in late September tallied 32 people texting or talking on the phone while driving in a one-hour period, between two busy intersections.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that distracted driving was the cause of 3,000 fatal traffic accidents nationwide last year. This is far fewer than the number of fatalities caused by alcohol-related traffic accidents, according to a relate story on cnet.com.

While critics of these laws don't dispute that distracted driving may cause accidents, they believe that additional laws aren't needed to ban the use of devices while driving because there are other laws covering inattentive driving.

"It shouldn't matter if the driver is distracted by a conversation with another vehicle passenger, tuning the radio, eating a snack, or talking on a cell phone," Gary Biller, president of the National Motorists Association, said in a statement. "Existing laws cover all those distractions and more."

LaHood said he was not as concerned about people who eat, apply makeup, or perform other distracting activities in cars because "not everyone does that."

"But everyone has a cell phone and too many of us think it is OK to talk on our phones while we are driving," he said at the summit.

He compared the situation facing the United States today with the problem of drunk driving 20-30 years ago.

"It used to be that if an officer pulled you over for drunk driving, he would pat you on the back, maybe call you a cab or take you home, but he wouldn't arrest you," LaHood said. "Now that has changed, and the same enforcement can work for people who talk on cell phones while driving."

LaHood said it is important for the police to have "the opportunity to write tickets when people are foolishly thinking they can drive safely or use a cell phone and text and drive."

LaHood said the Department of Transportation was researching the effect that hands-free devices and new systems like Ford Motor Company's Sync have on distracting drivers. He said he has called the CEOs of major car companies and encouraged them to "think twice" before placing too many Internet-based systems into new cars.

Download the movie