The day could be coming when it would be illegal for that girl yapping on her headset in the lane next to you on the freeway to be yapping at all, even on a hands-free cell phone. The National Transportation Board said states should ban all cell phone use for drivers

Of course, it’s only a recommendation and states don’t have to follow it, but it was unanimously voted on by the five-member NTSB, which carries a lot of weight, says the Associated Press. The suggestion comes after a deadly collision last year in Missouri was said to be caused by a 19-year-old driver who sent or received 11 texts in the 11 minutes before the crash.

At any given moment last year on America’s streets and highways, nearly 1 in every 100 car drivers was texting, emailing, surfing the Web or otherwise using a handheld electronic device, the safety administration said. And those activities spiked 50 percent over the previous year.

The NTSB is of the mindset that it doesn’t matter if you’re texting, dialing or just talking on your phone — the point is, you’re not totally focused on the road and that can lead to accidents. They can’t impose new restrictions, but federal regulators and state lawmakers are definitely paying attention to their suggestions.

NTSB recommends ban on all driver cell phone use — even hands-free [Chicago Tribune]

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