Phoning-while-driving ban will bring much discussion

I have to admit, I am a bit torn on the National Transportation Safety Board’s recommendation of an outright cellphone ban while driving.

On one hand, it’s against the law in all Hawaii counties. On the other hand, I am not sure I can support banning the use of hands-free devices such as Bluetooth headsets, as the safety agency did on Tuesday.

I’m not the only person with mixed feelings. U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., said he does, too. But he agrees that hands-free devices offer little improvement.

"It’s a cognitive distraction," he tells The Associated Press. "The mental attention shifts … to that other party, not to the task at hand."

I can’t argue that mental attention does not shift, but isn’t that the same as carrying on a conversation with your passenger? Sure, you press a few buttons to activate the phone call, but you also press buttons to turn the radio on or to crank up the air conditioning, don’t you?

"Cellphones don’t kill people. Stupid people kill people," says Ryan Ozawa, co-host of "Bytemarks Cafe," a tech radio show on Hawaii Public Radio. He says laws against distracted driving behavior make sense, because they are penalties for poor judgment. But a blanket ban on cellphones, he says, is overkill.

"If we’re targeting the distraction and not the behavior, we better pass laws to remove all buttons from dashboards, ban arguments (in cars) and put kids in straitjackets."

On the other hand, reader Steve Okubo laments that some cellphone users use work as an excuse to take calls.

"Let’s see, potentially a little behind on some work or potentially dead," he says, weighing each as if on a scale. "Pretty much a no-brainer. If you’re putting work ahead of your life and safety of all others around your vehicle, you need some serious help."

I have probably a rather unhealthy connection with my smartphone. I need it to make interviews, set up appointments, check for directions and everything else a smartphone can do. True, there was a time when I didn’t have a smartphone, and I was able to function just fine for my work. So I start to wonder whether I am merely imagining a smartphone as being a necessity.

The national conversation on driving while using devices has only just started to heat up. The NTSB’s recommendation isn’t binding, but state governments often look to the agency for guidance. Although some state lawmakers have expressed reluctance to follow the recommendation, the discussion likely isn’t over.

Until something is decided, the best we can all do is drive within our limits. And as hard as it can be, keep your hands off the phone.

Reach Gene Park at gpark@staradvertiser.com, or Twitter as @GenePark.