December 15, 2005 - Today the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that a survey they conducted found that 974,000 vehicles or 10 percent of those on the road during the day are driving by someone using a handheld or hands-free phone.  Out of the 10 percent of these drivers, 6 percent are using handheld devises to their ears while the other 4 percent are using hands-free devices.  Survey results also found that cell phone use has increased for both young and old drivers as well as increased for both men and women. 

The NHTSA also stated that Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and the District of Columbia are the only jurisdictions that ban the use of handheld phones while driving.  Many other States do however impose restrictions on this practice as well.

With approximately 1 billion cell phone users worldwide and many of them teenagers, one State law that both the NHTSA and the National Transportation Safety Board are supporting to see passed would ban those driving with a learners permit from using cell phones or other wireless devices.