Cell phones are a wonderful invention. They allow people to contact others who are never home and allow them to find individuals easily in times of emergency.

They are also handy if your car breaks down somewhere and you need a ride or a tow. But the best thing by far about cell phones is that they distract people who are driving and cause them to drive like imbeciles, or even to crash.

Yep, that certainly was a bit of sarcasm. As handy as wireless phones may be they can also be little devils. All the time I see people swerving about the road and as I get closer I realize they are talking on the phone, probably whispering sweet nothings into the ear of a loved one. I seriously doubt they are having what might be deemed an “important” conversation. These cell phone chums are accidents waiting to happen.

In 1997 an article came out in the New England Journal of Medicine about the use of cell phones while operating a motor vehicle. The article states that the chance of an accident quadruples when the driver is using a wireless telecommunications device. It also draws no distinction between hand-held and hands-free gadgets. Both are hazardous, according to the study.

Several countries around the world, including Switzerland and Italy, already have laws banning the use of hand-held phones while driving. Other countries are working towards banning all types including hands-free from use while driving. Some states in the United States also have laws banning cell phone use.

Thankfully, California is one of those states because drivers there already drive like maniacs. However, the United States is still one of a few countries to not have any national regulations on cell phone use while operating a vehicle.

That may soon be changing though. Last May, two Democratic congressman proposed bills dealing with wireless communication devices in cars. The House bill would ban hand-held phones only. The Senate bill would also ban hand-held but would also allow state discretion regarding hands-free mechanisms. Of course this was introduced last May and a lot has happened since then, most significantly several horrifying plane crashes and a few cases of Anthrax. It is obvious that more important issues, like that whole pesky war thing, have to take priority in Congress.

Luckily Iowa has taken up the issue as well. The Iowa Legislature began its new session on Jan. 14 and a bill was introduced into the Iowa House that would create a presumption of negligence for any driver who causes an accident while talking on a wireless telephone. In plain English, if you crash while on a cell phone it is all your fault. This bill includes both hand-held and hands-free mechanisms.

Unlike the national bills, this does not ban the use of phones in the car. This bill simply puts the blame exactly where it should be -on the person who crashed while talking on a cell phone.

It would make people take responsibility for using the little devils when they should be concentrating on the road.

Unfortunately, I fear it is unlikely that Iowa will get the chance to act on the bill. Like the federal government, we have more important issues to deal with, like budget problems and teacher pay.

Still it is an important step to make moronic cell phone drivers actually focus and drive safely. If people can do that then cell phones will no longer have to be the devilish tools that cause some car accidents and the world will be a safer place for everyone.

Ayrel Clark is a freshman in pre-journalism and mass communication from Johnston.