But not everyone is convinced that handheld devices pose the same sort of danger as drunk driving and question whether the federal government isn’t overstepping its bounds when it comes to limiting what you can and can’t do in your own car.

In a recent opinion piece, Ramesh Ponnuru, a senior editor for National Review, stated his reasons for opposing any sort of ban on distracted driving, including providing what he considers evidence that the NTSB inflated the risks associated with the use of handheld devices.

And the evidence for LaHood’s “epidemic” talk is overblown. Advocating the NTSB’s preferred ban, its chairman Deborah Hersman noted that 3,092 people had died in distracted-driving incidents in 2010. The Transportation Department estimates that Americans drove 3 trillion miles that year. That works out to 970 million miles driven for each distracted-driving fatality.

To put these numbers in further perspective: Drunken driving caused more than three times as many fatalities. And mobile phones were not the main cause of distractions, either, even if Hersman implied that they were. In 2009, the Transportation Department found that phones were either being used by or “in the presence of” a driver in 18 percent of distracted-driving fatalities. Another department report concluded that “conversing with a passenger was the most common source of distraction” from inside cars.

Ponnuru is hardly alone in his disbelief that distracted driving is as big a public safety hazard as the NTSB claims it is. Texas lawmakers have expressed serious doubts and said that any move to ban the use of handheld devices should be done at the municipal level, not statewide or nation wide.

While experts debate the merits of a distracted driving ban, many others see the questions as a moot point. They say that anything which might increase the level of safety on American roadways and decrease any traffic fatalities is worth the effort.

The California State Senate approved a measure which would ultimately raise the fine for anyone caught using their cell phone while behind the wheel.

Senate Bill 1310 increases the fines for breaking the hands-free and no texting laws from $20 to $30 for a first-time offense, and from $50 to $60 for subsequent offenses.

The total cost of a first offense, including penalties, would rise to roughly $199, depending on the county. Second offenses would cost about $371

According to a press release, the extra money from the tougher law would be used to fund a distracted driving education program in the California Office of Traffic Safety.

California Highway Patrol has repeatedly conducted distracted driving campaigns focused on finding and ticketing drivers who refuse to put down their cell phones or other handheld devices while trying to navigate California highways. Despite these increased patrols, hundreds of drivers have been caught and hundreds more are still doing it–hence the increased fines.

And the effort to curb distracted behavior on the roadways doesn’t stop with cars. If passed SB1310 would also levy fines on bicyclists who ride distracted. They would pay just $20 for first offense and $50 for each subsequent offense, and with no fees and would not get a point on their record for second offenses, but the bill is being supported by the California Bicycle Coalition which means it has bilateral support.

Repeated studies have shown that distracted driving behaviors, whether it is talking on a cell phone, sending and receiving text messages; updating social media or even sending and receiving emails, all leads to an increased risk of having a vehicle collision. Every vehicle collision adds to the costs everyone pays for insurance; increases the risk of serious of injury or death and generally causes a lot of problems for everyone who rides or drives on the roads.

The conference was sponsored by insurance giant USAA, the Texas Department of Transportation and Shriners Hospitals for Children.

It is interesting, and perhaps not a coincidence, that LaHood made his comments at a conference in Texas, seeing as how legislators there have made it clear that even a statewide ban on distracted driving is too much of an infringement on civil liberties, opting instead to allow municipalities to take whatever steps they deem necessary in their communities.

In the meantime, public and private agencies are denouncing distracted driving as the number one cause of fatal crashes in the United States. This past December the National Transportation Safety Board released a report which showed that distracted driving was already causing more fatal vehicle crashes than driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and that the incidence of distracted driving crashes has increased drastically the past few years and is showing no signs of abating.

According to the NTSB, there were 3,000 fatal crashes last year caused by distracted driving. All of which could be prevented if people simply put down their handheld devices and focused their attention instead on the skill of driving defensively. Unlike drunk drivers whose cognitive skills are diminished by alcohol and therefore, by definition, are not thinking clearly, distracted drivers have no reason to be taking their eyes off the road or doing anything except paying attention to the road ahead.

A new white paper released by the NSC, “Employer Liability and the Case for Comprehensive Cell Phone Policies,” was released this week. It details the why and how of protecting employees even when they are in their car, but especially when they are in their cars on duty.

According to a press release from the NSC:

“Business leaders owe it to their employees to put safety first – especially when employees are on the roads,” said Janet Froetscher, NSC president and CEO. “Employers should know a policy that prohibits handheld and hands-free cell phone use by all employees while driving is not only a best safety practice but also contributes to the bottom line.”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration estimate on-the-job crashes cost employers more than $24,500 per property damage crash. The cost rises to $150,000 per injury and to as much as $3.6 million per fatality.

Also this week, the NSC updated their existing white paper, “Understanding the Distracted Brain: Why driving while using hands-free devices is risky behavior” which focuses on helping employers understand the dangers of cell phone distracted driving, the need for cell phone policies and what a comprehensive cell phone policy should include.

The National Transportation Safety Board has been asking all states to emphasize the dangers of distracted driving and enact laws meant to curb the use of handheld devices by drivers. So far only 36 states have comprehensive bans on the use of these devices by drivers, and in states without a ban, the problem is expected to continue.

For employers, whether or not there is a state ban, they need to focus on employee safety regardless.

The Idaho ban on texting by all drivers goes into effect July 1, 2012. Violators will face an $85 fine.

The West Virginia law, which includes a ban on the use of all hand-held devices by drivers goes into effect July 1, 2012. Violators will get a citation for $100 on the first offense, with subsequent infractions increasing. If you get caught a second time the fine rises to $200 and if you are dumb enough to do it a third time the cost goes up to $300. Plus three points will be assessed against the driver’s license on the third and any subsequent violations.

Text messaging will be a primary offense in West Virginia, effective July 1, while driver hand-held cell phone use will be limited to secondary enforcement until July 1, 2013, when it becomes a primary offense.

It is significant that both these states chose to pass their laws during National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, when national attention is (hopefully) being focused on what has become the leading threat to anyone who rides on the roads.

In December the National Transportation Safety Board released a report which showed that statistically speaking, distracted driving is responsible for more traffic fatalities that driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. The NTSB suggested that every state immediately pass complete bans on the use of hand-held devices by drivers. Some states already had bans in place. Some states banned texting and driving, while others forced drivers to use hands-free devices for their cell phones, or completely banned the use of any and all devices by drivers.

with the addition of Idaho and West Virginia, there are now just 13 states which continue to allow drivers to use hand held devices, even text and drive. These states are facing mounting pressure to wake up and recognize that distracted driving is a serious threat to public safety, but so far, they are still sleeping.

The hit Fox show ‘Glee’ has an audience composed mostly of teenagers and they are using their platform to send a message: Distracted driving is dangerous, so don’t do it.

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. This coincides with the season premiere of ‘Glee’ which will be picking up its story line from last season which ended on a cliffhanger that had distracted driving at the crux of the plot: Lead character and admitted drama queen Quinn Fabray (Dianna Agron) was in a hurry, driving to get to her ex-boyfriend’s wedding. She was also texting and driving. Suddenly her vehicle is sideswiped by a truck and the screen faded to black, leaving viewers to ponder her fate. It was also a great opportunity for parents to start a dialogue focusing on the dangers of letting anything interfere with a young drivers concentration on the skill of driving.

Distracted driving is not limited to texting and driving. A car load of friends is also a serious distraction for young drivers (or any drivers) as is adjusting the radio buttons, checking your hair in the mirror, or doing anything which takes your eyes off the road. It only takes a split second for something drastic to happen: a child runs into the road ahead of you or the vehicle in front of you stops suddenly. Road conditions can change at a moment’s notice and you need to be ready for the unexpected to happen just when you least expect it to.

Hopefully teens will get the message and learn the lessons we are all trying to teach them about the dangers of distracted driving.

The temptation to use these devices is overwhelming for some drivers, but now, following a recent report by the National Transportation Safety Board, police are being empowered to cite them for taking their eyes off the road.

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month and police around the country are steeping up efforts to cite drivers who they find are allowing themselves to be distracted from something other than their driving. All but 15 states have enacted some sort of distracted driving ban. These laws run the gamut in terms of what is permitted and what sort of punishment is meted out for violators.

In some states, such as New York and California, drivers are not permitted to use cell phones while driving. In other states drivers can use their hands free devices, but texting is not permitted. Fines for violations range from $50 to more than $150 for first time offenders. But there is a steeper price to paid for those who violate the many and various distracted driving laws: death.

According to the NTSB and numerous other studies, including ones completed by AAA and Berkley University, distracted driving is now the most common cause of highway traffic fatalities. Drivers who are distracted while tooling down the highway are less safe (that’s LESS SAFE) than drivers who are operating their vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Not only that, but in most states DUI offenses have been on a steady decline while distracted driving crashes have been steadily on the increase.

This month do yourself, and everyone who shares the road with you, a favor and keep your eyes on the road.

The NHTSA has been working in conjunction with automobile manufacturers to limit the ability of drivers to access in-car electronics such as navigation systems, access to the Internet and even text and cell phone calls. This move is being hailed by proponents of safe driving who point to a recent NHTSA study showing distracted driving fatalities now exceed deaths caused by drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol. They say that any changes made to prevent people from accessing electronics while they are driving their car should be made immediately; there is no time like the present to address this increasing threat on American roadways.

In the meantime the NHTSA is struggling to convince state law makers to enact bans on the use of any handheld devices by drivers, whether for texting or talking or something else. Many state legislators have said statewide bans go too far and these decisions are better left up to municipal lawmakers on a city by city, or community by community basis. This does not sit well with safe driving proponents who feel now that the threat has been identified (and the NHTSA study is not the only one to point out the dramatic rise in fatal crashes caused by distracted driving) law makers should be doing everything in their power to prevent it from getting any worse.

Despite opposition from some law makers the NHTSA is moving forward with its efforts to convince automobile manufacturers to work with them to give drivers no choice about whether or not to use their electronics while driving. After all, traffic school can help you remove the points from your license, but it simply cannot bring you back to life if you’ve been killed by a distracted driver.

The UC Berkely Safe Transportation Research and Education Center studied traffic crashes during the two-year period before the ban took effect and compared them to the number and cause of traffic crashes during the two-year period after the ban took effect. They say there was a significant decline in crashes across the board and a decline in crashes specifically involving drivers who were using either a handheld or wireless device while driving.

The study was requested by the California Office of Traffic Safety which said they suspected there was a lower number of crashes and wondered if it could be attributed to the new ban.

The National Transportation Safety Board recently announced that crashes involving distracted driving had eclipsed the number of crashes involving driving under the influence of alcohol. Their report came with admonishment that all states should seek to ban the use of handheld devices, if they hadn’t already. This announcement was met with skepticism by lawmakers in states like Texas who said they felt the decision was best left to local municipalities.

Since the NTSB report was released late last year, states such as Florida, which had also been resisted to a handheld devices devices, have since reversed course. Lawmakers there are finalizing a bill to make a partial effective perhaps as early as this summer.

Regardless of whether or not a ban on handheld devices is enacted in your state, remember the lessons you learned in traffic school about paying attention and driving defensively. You will be glad you did.

Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net