U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, however, announced on Dec. 22 he won't back the proposal and supports hands-free driving.

Risk managers say they are in favor of a total ban of cell phone usage while behind the wheel.

Lori Seidenberg, vice president, enterprise risk management, and insurance risk manager with Centerline Capital Group inNew York Cityand a director of the Risk and Insurance Management Society Inc. notes, "As a risk manager, I support the implementation of a total ban on cell phone usage. Using cell phones while driving is a hazard for both the passengers in the car you are in and the cars around you."

While some states allow hands-free usage while driving, Seidenberg says, "This, too, is hazardous, as you still need to look at your phone or PDA to answer or dial the call."

She adds, "I can see a corporation's perspective, that they want travelling employees to be as efficient as possible" and that an employee driving a long distance might multitask by participating in conference calls or answering emails.

But she says corporations have to weigh the risks and decide which is more important: "employee productivity or a risk of injury or death by distracted driving?"

Daniel Rogers, director of risk management at InVentiv Health, Inc., in the Greater New York area, tells NU Online News Service, "Hands free technology such as Bluetooth does not solve the problem. The real issue with cell phone use (handheld or otherwise) is the distraction it causes while driving."

He notes that if companies are serious about banning cell phone use while driving, "relatively cheap technology now exists to disable cell phone use any time the GPS that most cell phones have detects vehicle motion."

The program can be disabled in the event of an emergency. It can also be programmed to alert callers that the employee is currently driving and will return the call at the first opportunity, he says.

Rogers concedes, however, that until the various states begin to impose major fines for cell phone use, as is the case with the European Union countries, "I agree it's an almost impossible policy to enforce."

Terry Fleming, director of the Division of Risk Management,Montgomery County,Md., and a past president of the Risk and Insurance Management Society, says, "It's just a safety issue." Teaching drivers in regards to texting and cellphone usage while driving "is an educational process, similar to drunk driving." It will still happen, "but it's the education and the enforcement," that will make the difference.

Enforcement is difficult and will require more cameras to photograph and document infractions as well as unmarked cars, he observes.

A new technology introduced by an automobile company that allows parents to turn off a teen's cell phone in the car may be effective, he observes. "Technology will catch up and help us out as well."

John Toay, president, SC Risk Mgt. Consulting and president, LPM Enterprises Inc., says, "As a former police-accident investigator I handled more cases caused by inattention than I can count."

While it used to be "just guys driving into parked cars while they were gawking at pretty girls," he says, "Now it's phones, texting, laptops, radios, CB radios, hamburgers and fries that draw eyes from the road. I even see people with books or newspapers propped up on their steering wheels."

But despite the problem, Toay wonders about enforcement of such a law "without making all of us traffic violators. We can pass all the rules and laws we want but logically speaking, they'll be unenforceable. Can you imagine the line waiting to appear before the judge?"