State highway departments will now get help tracking the number of
traffic accidents caused by drivers chatting on their handheld cell
phones, using their pagers or checking their personal digital assistants
(PDAs).
Last month, every state received a booklet of revised codes that
describes causes of vehicle crashes, including distractions from
electronic communication devices. The codes were developed by traffic
safety and crash-data experts, including the Governors Highway Safety
Association and the Federal Highway Administration.
New York state banned driver cell-phone use in June 2001. Forty other states are considering similar restrictions.
