A bill that would ban the use of handheld cell phones while driving, whether it’s texting or talking, passed through a House committee last Tuesday.House Bill 863, which awaits further action from the House floor, would also make violations of the law a primary offense, meaning an officer could pull a driver over just for that crime.According to data from the LSU Highway Safety Research Group, 2,387 vehicles were involved in crashes caused by cell phone distractions in 2009.Sixteen of those incidents resulted in fatalities, and 786 resulted in injuries.Cell phone-related accidents comprised 15 percent of all vehicular accidents caused by known distractions in 2009.Jamie Ainsworth, public information officer for the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, said the numbers are misleading. “These numbers are low compared to the rest of the country,” Ainsworth said. “But it’s important to keep in mind that most of these are self-reported following a crash.”Detective Kevin Scott from the LSU Police Department said cell phones are a distraction for drivers.”Cell phones are the No. 1 contributor to vehicle related crashes resulting in injury or fatality, other than alcohol,” Scott said.Text messaging is a secondary offense under the current law, meaning drivers can only be cited if they are pulled over for another offense.”There needs to be a provision that allows it to be the primary reason for stopping motorists,” Scott said.Making the violation a primary offense would make it easier to enforce, Scott said.Dominique Henson, animal science sophomore, said she supported the new legislation.”Pretty much everyone I know texts while driving, and all of them talk while driving,” Henson said.  Henson said she knew someone from her high school who ran into a pole while texting and driving.Sgt. Don Kelly, spokesperson for the Baton Rouge Police Department, said the primary responsibility of a driver should be to operate the vehicle safely and responsibly.”We favor anything that cuts down on distractions for drivers,” he said. “I used to text too, but I stopped after I saw Oprah’s ‘No Phone Zone’ campaign,” Henson said.Patrick Crowder, communication studies sophomore, said his friends text and talk while driving.”I receive a lot of texts from people who are driving,” he said.Kristen Knipe, mathematics and biology senior, said she frequently talks while driving.”It’s not a distraction to me, but I could see how it could be,” she said.—-Contact Sarah Eddington at [email protected].