Last month the U.S. Department of Transportation recommended
that all 50 states and the District of Columbia ban the use of
portable electronic devices. According to the National
Transportation Safety Board more than 3,000 people lost their
lives in distraction-related accidents. Chairman Deborah A.P.
Hersman stated, “No call, no text, no e-mail is worth a human
life.” However, this ban ignores the facts. Many states already
restrict cell phone activities. The cause of this proposed ban
was a Missouri teen who was texting while driving. In Missouri
drivers under 21 are already prohibited from texting while
driving. Can something already illegal become more illegal? Cell
phone usage has never been proven to cause accidents. While
cell-phones can be distracting, so can many other features in
cars. Is the next step to ban GPS units and car radios? Do cell
phones cause accidents? Studies have shown that cell-phone usage
could be a distraction; studies have shown that hand-free cell
phone usage could be as big a d