Making this illegal is a hot topic in state legislatures across the country.

Ascertaining the dangers of using phones while driving is difficult. New York State banned the practice in November 2001, so statistics aren't available yet to compare before and after crash rates. Another unclear issue is the effect hands-free phones have. Compliance with the New York law seems high, with hand-held phone use cut in half. Insufficient data on crash rates comparing users and nonusers makes it hard to predict any safety gains. (Author/publisher)