The National Transportation Safety Board wants drivers to cease the use of their cellphones while driving, but Colorado officials are not so sure. Earlier this month, the board recommended states uniformly ban drivers from using any electronic devices in moving automobiles. If the NTSB has its way, the proposed ban will include cellphones, even those using hands-free technology.

At this time, 35 states, including Colorado, currently ban texting while driving. Ten states ban cellphone use in moving vehicles.

The NTSB chairwoman said distracted drivers are causing an increasing number of car accidents. She acknowledged the ban is likely to cause public outrage, but said it is the right time to make the change. "No call, no text, no update is worth a human life," she said.

The NTSB is not including GPS devices in its recommended ban. Drivers would also be able to use cellphones in an emergency.

Colorado banned drivers from texting while driving in 2009 after a distracted driver hit and killed a 9-year-old girl. However, one state representative said he wants to see the NTSB's data before he decides whether Colorado should follow the agency's recommendation.

A Colorado Department of Transportation spokeswoman acknowledges distracted driving is a problem. The CDOT recently gave Denver a $39,500 grant to help police officers enforce the state's existing ban on texting. The Colorado State Patrol and Aurora will also get similar grants.

The CDOT estimates 50 people die in Colorado each year from accidents caused by drivers not paying attention to the road. In 2008, the Colorado State Patrol reported nearly 5,000 accidents caused by "inattentiveness to driving." Thirty-three of the accidents resulted in someone's death.

However, one State Patrol Trooper pointed out cellphones and other hand-held electronic devices are not the only things that distract drivers. Passengers and the radio can also cause inattentiveness; as can eating, shaving and putting on make-up while behind the wheel.

With many people taking to the roads this holiday weekend, our highways will be experiencing heavier traffic than usual. It is important to be responsible while sharing our roadways. Setting aside those distracting devices and focusing on the task at hand will help ensure that everyone will make it to their holiday destinations safe and sound.

Source: The Denver Post, "Colorado already bans texting while driving amid NTSB push to prohibit all electronic devices," Anthony Cotton, Dec. 14, 2011.