U.S. safety investigators called on Tuesday for a nationwide ban
on texting and cellphone use while driving, a prohibition that
would include certain applications of hands-free technology
becoming more common in new cars. The U.S. National
Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendation covers
portable devices only but still goes beyond measures proposed or
imposed to date by regulators and states, most of which already
ban texting while behind the wheel. “When it comes to using
electronic devices, it may seem like it’s a quick call or a
quick text or a tweet, but accidents happen in the blink of an
eye,” says NTSB chairman Deborah Hersman. More than 3,000 people
were killed in distracted driving crashes in the United States
in 2010, according to Transportation Department figures. Most
motorists participating in a Transportation Department survey
released last week acknowledged few situations in which they
would not use a cellphone or text while behind the wheel
although they supported measures to curb the