cell phones and driving?

Today, the Transportation Commitee of the Maine State Legislature looked at three bills (count 'em, THREE) about cell phones and driving. The bills all basically said the same thing, ban their usage while driving, except for Bluetooth and handsfree devices. Aside from the fact the Kennebec Commuter finds Bluetooth (Blueteeth?) silly because people look like they're talking to themselves in public, the bills identify a good issue: distraction and driving. No doubt this is a serious issue. One would be hard pressed to find a person who has not in some way witnessed bad driving behavior because of cell phone chatting. We're interested to see just how people have been impacted, though, and if Maine residents think their lawmakers are handling this appropriately. Have you been in accident because someone was on a cell phone? Any close calls? Drop a line at mmalloy@centralmaine.com or 623-3811 ext. 431.