France warns against excessive mobile phone use The French Health Ministry on Wednesday issued a warning against excessive mobile phone use, especially by children, though it recognized science had not proved cellular technology was dangerous.

Cell phones gum up traffic You can now officially blame your long commute on the jerk on his cell phone.

British Drivers on Mobiles Face Harsh Penalties American lawmakers don't seem to want to punish drivers on cell phones, but in Britain, motorists on mobiles caught driving dangerously face a two-year jail sentence.

Driver on phone hits 8-year-old Brianna Railing called her son, Jayson, in from the kitchen of their home Monday. The 8-year-old paced into the living room, a soft cast wrapped around his arm.

VERIZON CUSTOMERS SENT/RECEIVED OVER 10 BILLION SMS IN JUNE Verizon Wireless customers sent and received more than 10 billion text messages in June 2007, a company record and the highest reported total of any wireless service provider in the nation

New York Senator Calls for End to Texting While Driving Following the death of five recent high school graduates as a result of "texting while driving," Senator Carl L. Marcellino has called for the New York Legislature to pass S.3195.

Death drivers face 14 years Drivers who cause death on the roads could face up to 14 years in prison under changes in the Criminal Justice Bill.

Teens, Cell Phones, and Driving   Many parents get their teens a cell phone once they begin driving so that they can call in case their car breaks down or any other emergency.

Woman's Rescue From Train Caught On Tape Woman Parked, On Phone As Train Approaches GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. -- A Williamston woman is alive, thanks to the quick response of a police officer who got her out of her car seconds before an Amtrak train slammed into it -- and it was all caught on camera.

Woman's Arm Severed In Clark County Car Accident; Cell Phone Still Attached CLARK COUNTY, N.C. -- A Letcher County woman suffered a horrible injury early Thursday when her arm was severed in a car crash on the Mountain Parkway in Clark County.

Text messages may have been distraction in crash killing 5 teens CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. -- Text messages were sent back and forth on a 17-year-old girl's cell phone moments before her sport utility vehicle slammed head-on into a truck, killing her and four other recent high school graduates, police said Friday.

Handheld Phone Ban for Drivers (San Francisco Chronicle) (09-15) 04:00 PDT Sacramento -- Californians are going to have to put down their cell phone and use a hands-free device starting in 2008 ."Public safety is the governor's No. 1 priority, and this bill make the streets and highways of California safer by making sure drivers have both hands available for driving," said Margita Thompson, a spokeswoman for Schwarzenegger.

U.S. Cell-Phone Tracking Clipped (Wired) Federal law enforcement attempts to use cell phones as tracking devices were rebuked twice in October of 2005 by lower court judges, who say the government cannot get real time tracking information on citizens without showing probable cause.

Cell-phone Ban Promotes Safety (Stateman Journal) Hard evidence presented to our lawmakers is clear: It is not possible to drive attentively and safely while using a cell phone. We all have seen people driving erratically while talking on phones, and numerous studies have proven beyond any doubt that driving and using a cell phone dramatically increases the risk of a crash.

Federal Agency Calls For Ban On Teen Cell-Phone Use While Driving (MTV News) "We know from talking with young people that cell phones do represent a pretty serious risk in terms of distracted driving, and kids themselves have told us it's something they are concerned about," said Stephen Wallace, chairman and CEO of Students Against Destructive Decisions.

Sandpoint Idaho Considering Cell Phone Ban for Taxi Drivers (MSNBC.com) SANDPOINT, Idaho - The city council of the northern Idaho town of Sandpoint is considering prohibiting taxi drivers and limousine drives from using cell phones while driving.

Cell Phone Use Law Proposed to City Councils (The News-Gazette.com) Matt Wilhelm was struck and killed on Sept. 18 while riding his bicycle on Illinois 130 east of Urbana. Jennifer Stark of Urbana was downloading ring tones onto her cell phone when her vehicle hit Mr. Wilhelm. Stark was convicted of improper lane usage and was fined.

Cell-phone Law; Adults Can Be Automotive Hazards Too (The Free Lance-Star) If teens shouldn't text while driving in Virginia, why should adults be allowed to send e-mails behind the wheel from their BlackBerrys?

Kansas City Proposes Complete Ban of Phones in Cars Lawmakers in Lawrence, Kansas will soon vote on a proposed law to restrict usage of cell phones by drivers. It would be the most strict legislation of its kind in the country.

Companies Fearful of Lawsuits Over Cells Concern over liability are prompting several companies to insist their employees not use their cell phones while driving.[via Canada.com]

Malaysia Warns of Jail for Text-Messaging Behind the Wheel Malaysian motorists who read or send SMS text messages while behind the wheel face going to jail, authorities warned in a report Wednesday, saying texting is more dangerous than talking on the phone.

Inattention Causes 8 of 10 Road Accidents: Study According to CTV.ca, "eight out of 10 crashes involve drivers who are drowsy, chatting on a cellphone, applying makeup or otherwise distracted from the road ahead, according to a U.S. government study released Thursday that videotaped people behind the wheel".

A Safe Cell Phone for Drivers Global Mobile Alert has developed a warning system that helps drivers gab without crashing. Technology Review reports.

Restrictions on Cellphone Use While Driving Gain Traction States are scrambling to impose restrictions on cellphone use by drivers, reports the WSJ (free access) in an article that rounds up States with laws and States without.

Mobile Phone Blamed for Fatal Road Accident. Again The Guardian reports on yet another tragic accident caused by a driver using his cell phone while at the wheel.

Bosses to Face Fines for Staff Caught Chatting on Phone in Car Firms could be prosecuted for allowing employees to use hand-held mobile phones while driving in the latest crackdown on motorists, reports UK's Daily Mail.

UK: Jail Time Proposed for Cell Phone Users The head of the UK Crown Prosecution Service, Ken Macdonald, is floating the idea of throwing motorists who use cell phones in jail. The TheNewspaper reports.

46,000 Australians in Car Accidents While Using a Cell Phone According to the Sydney Morning Herald, a survey finds that an estimated 46,000 Australians, aged between 18 and 65, have been in a car accident while using a mobile phone and almost 147,000 had been forced to take evasive action to avoid an accident.

Speed Cameras to Trap Mobile Phone Users at the Wheel In the UK, mobile speed cameras will soon be used to catch motorists illegally using their mobile phones, reports Intranetics Motoring News Service..

Video Warns of Dangers While Driving and Talking on Cell Phone A video featuring actual footage of car crashes while drivers talk on their cell phones is part of the state Department of Public Safety's new public education campaign

UK. Police May Seize Drivers' Cell Phones Another suggestion to get drivers to quit using their cell phones while driving. This time from Senior police officers in the Southport neighborhood (UK). They are considering seizing handsets from offending motorists. But they still have to determine if this

Why Your Brain Can't Cope with Driving and Talking on the Phone US researchers from Vanderbilt University have discovered a likely reason why people find it hard to do two things at once. The BBC reports.

Young Cell Phone Users Drive Like Elderly, Study Says (National Geographic Feature): Young Drivers who use cell phones at the wheel drive like the elderly—with slower reaction times and an increased risk of accidents—a new study shows. And what's more, hands-free phones are no safer than handheld ones.

More Americans Than Ever Use Cell Phones While Driving (USA Today Story) More people than ever are driving under the influence of their cell phones, according to a survey by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and all that talking is a potential safety issue.

Vt. House Passes Cell Phone Ban for Drivers (Rutland Herald Story): Vermont teenagers may soon need to put their cell phones away while driving. And their parents better get some hands-free equipment if they intend to talk behind the wheel.

Cell Phones as Dangerous as Drunk Driving (From CNet News.com blog) Is having a cell phone pressed to your ear while behind the wheel the equivalent of driving while intoxicated? According to a study by University of Utah psychologists, the answer is, unfortunately, yes.

Bill Banning Cell Phone Use By Teen Drivers Passes Calif. Senate (From the San Jose Mercury News) The bill would go into effect on July 1, 2008, and would ban drivers younger than 18 from using cell phones or other mobile-service devices including walkie-talkies, pagers, two-way messaging devices and PDAs while driving, even with a hands-free device.

Driving While on Cell Phone Worse Than Driving While Drunk And Researchers Found No Difference Between Hand-Held or Hands-Free Models (From Scout News, LLC) And researchers found no difference between hand-held or hands-free models (From ScoutNews, LLC) Maneuvering through traffic while talking on the phone increases the likelihood of an accident five-fold and is actually more dangerous than driving drunk, U.S. researchers report. That finding held true whether the driver was holding a cell phone or using a hands-free device, the researchers noted.

Roadshow: No More Handheld Cell Phones for Drivers Starting in 2008 (From the San Jose Mercury News) Just 427 more days until California bans using a handheld cell phone while driving. The new law takes effect July 1, 2008, and while studies show that driver distraction is the same whether they are on a hands-free or a handheld phone, at least drivers will have two hands on the wheel.

Chicago Closer to Banning Hand-Held Cell Phones (From Chicago CBS2) A City Council committee (in April, 2005) approved a ban on the use of hand-held cell phones while driving to advance a measure that has been kicking around Chicago for at least six years.

City Considers Banning Cell Phone Use in Cars (From the AP on MSNBC) The proposal, which went before the Lawrence's (KS) Traffic Safety Commission in June of 2006, would ban the use of hand-held cell phones and hands-free cell phone devices by all drivers.

Human Toll Has Some Arguing for Ban on Cell Phone Use at the Wheel (From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer Reporter, first of two parts) A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found a fourfold increase in the risk of an accident for people who drive while phoning -- the same risk as driving with a 0.08 blood alcohol level, the legal limit.

Calls are Growing for Cell Phone Laws in Cars - State Senator Undaunted by Delays (Second of Two from Seattle Post-Intelligencer Reporter) Besides state laws, companies are beginning to ask their employees to stop phoning and driving, and plaintiffs are collecting multimillion dollar awards for wrongful death caused by cell phone-wielding drivers.

Anderson Signs Cell-Phone Ban Salt Lake City Employees Can't Talk on them or Text While Driving (From the Desert News Publishing Company) Mayor Rocky Anderson signed an executive order in April 2007prohibiting employees from using city-provided cell phones while driving. Employees also may not talk on a personal cell phone or send text messages while driving on city business. Anderson's spokesman Patrick Thronson said the prohibition was prompted in part by a series of motor-vehicle fatalities in the city that involved cell phones.

Council Members Hang Up on Cell Phone Ban (From the Rapid City Journal in South Dakota) Citing media reports of cell phone distractions being a factor in some accidents, Berlyn Ghost (Rapid City, SD) said the city could have problems in the future if someone is killed or seriously injured. Police Chief Craig Tieszen said there’s no question that cell phones contribute to careless or distracted driving.

Senator Proposes Teenage Cell Phone Ban While Driving (From KGO ABC7 in San Francisco) Palo Alto (CA) senator Joe Simitian's bill makes it illegal for kids under 18 to drive under the influence of cell phones and wireless devices. If caught, the fine is $20 dollars the first time and $50 bucks each time after that.

Cellphone Ban May Make Some Motorists Outlaws (From the Univ of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada) Conservative politician John O'Toole is fighting to give police officers enough reasons, by making cellphone use while driving an illegal act. "No call is too important to take away someone's life," says O'Toole. The Durham MPP's proposed private member's bill, Bill 68, was introduced for the third time in the legislature at the end of February 2006.

VA House to Teens - 'Hang Up and Drive' - Lawmakers Pass Bans on Cellphones (From The Washington Post) Richmond, VA, Feb. 21, 2007 -- The Virginia House of Delegates approved a bill today that would prohibit teenagers from using their cell phones while driving, which safety advocates say would reduce accidents.

Doctor Pushes Cell-Phone Ban While Driving (From WISC TV, Madison, WI) A number of states have laws allowing only hands-free cell phone use by drivers, but a Madison doctor said that he doesn't think it goes far enough, WISC-TV reported. "Ninety-nine-point-nine percent of cell phone use by drivers is totally unnecessary," said Dr. William Scheckler, of St. Mary's Hospital.

Ban on Text Messaging at Wheel Sent to Gov. Gregoire (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)OLYMPIA -- Washington drivers Don't even think about reading, writing or sending a text message while behind the wheel. It could cost you $101. Gov. Chris Gregoire, is expected to sign it.

Cell Phone, Text Message Bans for Drivers Become Law (The Seattle Times)OLYMPIA, Wash. Hang up or pay up  Using your hands to talk on the phone or tap out a text message while behind the wheel will be illegal next year. Gov. Chris Gregoire signed the measures into law Friday, May 11, 2007, flanked by children who suffered serious injuries after being hit by drivers

Cell Phone Laws & Policies Center (Safety Business & Legal Reports) Cell phones have become a valuable tool in conducting business as more employees are using them to perform their jobs. However, cell phones also raise a number of issues involving safety, security, and privacy.

Countries that Ban Cell Phones While Driving A comprehensive list of the countries that currently ban the use of hand-held cell phones while driving. Included in a separate table are the statewide issues/bans here in the USA.

Cell Phone Laws as of May 2007 (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) A very up-to-date and comprehensive list of cell phone laws in the USA.