DENVER, July 25 (UPI) -- Public pressure to stop motorists from talking on their cell phones has driven all 50 states to consider various forms of legislation, but only New York has outlawed the use of hand-held telephones behind the wheel, state lawmakers and researchers said Thursday.
Studies to date show little support for the notion that the practice is dangerous, but that does not stop calls for action.
Lawmakers are bombarded with requests from irate constituents, and wireless carriers are trying to find a rational response to public outcry.
The National Conference of State Legislatures has received 1,500 requests for information on driver cell phone use over the past two years, more than any transportation issue and among the top issues overall, said NCSL staffer Matt Sundeen at the group's annual meeting.
"Nationwide we're seeing a lot of interest in this topic, certainly in terms of the number of times my phone rings asking for information," he said.
Every state has entertained bills since 1999. Federal legislation was introduced in 2001, and roughly 300 local jurisdictions have considered some sort of proposal, Sundeen said.
Congress heard testimony in 2001 on two bills that would have required states to pass some sort of hand-held restriction, but both were stuck in committee and no new legislation was introduced in 2002.
"It's basically a non-issue in Congress at this point," Sundeen said.
In an impromptu show-of-hands survey during the discussion, nearly all 50 participants indicated they have cell phones. Most of them admitted using the phones while driving.
State Rep. Richard Roy of Connecticut, whose bills to limit driver cell phone use have failed for the past four years, said a Quinnipac University poll showed 85 percent support for some type of limits.
But Steve Skinner, external affairs director for Cingular Wireless, said auto accidents and crash-related injuries have held a steady rate over the past several years, while the number of cell phones has increased fifty-fold.
"Public perception does not always track with reality," said Skinner, pointing to University of North Carolina research findings that 25 percent of all crashes are caused by driver distraction but cell phones figured in just 1.5 percent of those mishaps.
Events outside vehicles accounted for 29 percent of the crashes in the category, adjusting the auto sound system made up 11.4 percent and passengers created 10.9 percent of the distractions, the UNC study said.
Eleven states have enacted laws on driver cell-phone use, but all are relatively mild restrictions except for New York's.
Under a law that took effect last November, New Yorkers face fines of $100 for talking on their cell phones while driving unless they're using a hands-free device or headset. The fine rises to $200 for the second violation and $500 for each subsequent violation.
Exemptions have been written into the law for emergency workers using cell phones in furtherance of their duties and for ordinary citizens who can prove that they were using their phones to report emergencies.
Support for the ban was bolstered by public reaction to a well-publicized fatal traffic accident in Suffolk County, N.Y., that was tied to a driver talking on a mobile phone when the crash occurred.
In Connecticut, Roy is seeking restrictions on the use of hand-held phones, not an across-the-board ban.
"There's fumbling on the phone while you're trying to dial," he said. "If you're like some people you also need reading glasses so you're fumbling for your glasses before you fumble for your phone. If you're answering the phone, you're reaching around (to find it)."
Roy cited a University of Rhode Island study showing that drivers have a reduced field of view -- "tunnel vision" -- when conducting cognitive tasks, including talking on a cell phone. Using a head-mounted, eye-tracking device on volunteers, researchers concluded that the alertness of the drivers dropped sharply when they were conducting cognitive tasks, such as remembering a list of items, calculating in one's head -- or using a cell phone.
Researchers also found that the tunnel vision caused by cell-phone use continues well after the call is over, possibly because drivers are still thinking about the conversation.
The National Highway Traffic Safety administration conducted an observational survey of 12,000 vehicles in late 2000 and found that 3 percent of passenger-vehicle drivers were talking on cell phones at any given time.
Sundeen said he believes the 3 percent figure might be low.
The NHTSA study did not delve into how often cell-phone use contributes to highway crashes. But the agency said it has data indicating that various forms of driver distraction factor into 20 percent to 30 percent of all U.S. traffic accidents.
