I completely agree with you 100 percent..

That’s why more car are Bluetooth enabled now.

Hopefully all the other states take up the same penalties as the ones that ban it.

If you MUST talk on your cell phone while driving, spend the extra 200 bucks or so and buy a bluetooth enabler to talk through your radio.

State Banned? Notes
Alabama No
Alaska No
Arkansas Partial School bus drivers are banned from using a cell phone.
Arizona Partial A bill to introduce a ban was lost by a 4-3 vote in the Senate Transportation Committee. Bus drivers are banned from using a cell phone
California Yes Beginning July 1, 2008, violators face a US$20 fine for a first offense and a US$50 ticket for subsequent infractions. Law passed Sept 2007 bans all under-18s from using a phone at all, even with hands free kit.
Colorado No Teens with restricted licenses are banned – but can only be stooped for another violation first
Connecticut Yes Banned with effect from Oct. 2005 – teens are also forbidden from using hands free kits while moving
Delaware No A driver can already be prosecuted for "inattentive driving" – which can include using a cell phone. Studies into the issue have been requested
District of Columbia Yes Banned from July 2004
Florida Partial State Attorney General said that cities can set local regulations – July 2001. Overturned by Governor Bush..
Georgia Partial School bus drivers banned from using cell phones while driving. DeKalb County has fines when crashes can be attributed to driving while using a cell phone.
Hawaii Being debated A bill has been introduced in Hawaii’s legislature by Sen. Joseph Souki, D-Wailuku-Waiehu.
Idaho No
Illinois Partial School bus drivers are banned – Chicago has passed a bill banning driving while using a phone, fines of US$50 per infraction.
Indiana No Ban proposed by State Sen. Rose Antich Carr – Jan 2004
Iowa Being debated
Kansas No Bill to introduce ban failed in 2000
Kentucky No
Louisiana Being debated House has passed a bill to ban – now being transfered to the Senate for approval
Maine Partial Minors and those on learner driving licenses may not use a cell phone while driving
Maryland No Bill to ban dropped Feb. 2001. New proposal in the House, proposed by Delegates Arnick and Mandel
Massachusetts Partial Bill for most users pending – but bus drivers already banned. Drivers required to keep at least one hand on the steering wheel while holding a phone.
Michigan No
Minnesota Partial Teenagers and provisional drivers are banned – $100 fine plus delays in license upgrades for offenders
Mississippi No Legislation prevents local councils enacting their own ban.
Missouri No
Montana No
Nebraska No Bill planned by State Sen. Jim Cudaback – Jan 2004
Nevada No State bill to introduce ban failed April 1999. Local bill in Clark County also blocked Nov. 2001. Nevada state passed bill banning local regulations, March 2003.
New Hampshire Partial Not explicitly banned, but you can be prosecuted if using a cell phone when involved in an driving accident.
New Jersey Yes Banned from 2004, updated from March 2008 – fine US$100
New Mexico Partial Being debated – local ban in the cities of Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Taos, and Las Vegas
New York Yes Ban effective from Nov. 2001
North Carolina Being debated Study into the effects of cell phone usage while driving being carried out.
North Dakota Being debated Bill proposed by Sen. Harvey Tallackson, D-Grafton, Feb 2005
Ohio Partial The City of Cleveland is discussing a ban. Ban in place in Brooklyn.
Oklahoma No Bill to introduce ban failed in May 1999. Legislation prevents local councils enacting their own ban.
Oregon No A new bill enacted in Jan 2002 forbids the local governments from implementing their own cell phone ban.
Pennsylvania Partial Local cities have their own laws – state legislation pending
Rhode Island No Governor Almond rejected a ban – July 2001. School buses are banned from using a cell phone. Proposal for a ban being debated, April 2004.
South Carolina Partial Bill to ban holders of a beginner’s permit, conditional or special restricted driver’s license passed by House committee, April 2008
South Dakota No
Tennessee Partial School buses are banned from using a cell phone
Texas No Senate Bill 154 proposed. If passed would come into effect from 2008. A previous attempt in 2005 failed
Utah No Bill to introduce ban failed March 1998. Highland city planning a ban – Feb 2005
Vermont No
Virginia Partial Bill banning minors passed Jan 2005. Bill banning 16-17yr olds with conditional licenses passed March 2007
Washington Partial Ban imposed, to come into effect from July 2008. Driving while sending text messages separately banned with effect from Jan 1st 2008
West Virginia No Bill proposed in 1999, but never debated
Wisconsin No Bill to introduce ban failed in April 1998. Bill to ban younger drivers only being debated.
Wyoming No Bill proposed by Rep. Floyd Esquibel but not debated
(accurate to April 2008, and a country list can be found here: http://www.cellular-news.com/car_bans/ )

What upsets me even more is the number of young people who TEXT message while driving.

Now an aside to steplift who doesn’t really answer the question, but instead does a rant that ends with his complaint that this, being a free country, he should be allowed to ignore safety rules such as wearing his seat belt.

Sir, when exercising your individual rights affects MY pocketbook, the state has a vested interest to step in and regulate your behavior. Click it, or ticket. Simple as that and yes, that is one of the areas where the state has a financial interest in your behavior and can regulate it since by not wearing it you can statistically cost the taxpayers money.

Why isn’t giving someone the finger illegal? The amount of time it takes to look at the other person, make sure s/he is looking back, then giving an obscene gesture/words takes away from your concentration.

How about trying to discipline kids in the back seat? A crying baby or two (or more) fighting kids in the back seat is far more distracting than a cell phone.

What about talking to your passenger(s)? Some passengers can be really distracting when intoxicated… but nobody ever questions people who volunteer to be designated drivers (they’re practically heroes in some circles) yet they can be worse off than those on a cell phone.

What about driving when a person is tired? Will there be a device that tests how much sleep a person has gotten at night and if, say, a person has less than 7 hours sleep they are given a fine?

There are thousands of things that distract drivers while driving… cell phones are just the most convenient to label because they are easiest to spot, and easiest to enforce.