All across the country legislatures are making attempts to pass laws that would ban the use of cell phones behind the wheel. In some states, the habit has already been outlawed. Where it remains legal, strong lobbying groups are pushing for restrictions, limitations and outright bans on talking and driving.

Why all the fuss?

When numbers offered by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration are examined, the reasons behind the hubbub become clear. That national agency estimates that drivers talking on hand-held devices are three times more likely to get into a crash. In fact, cell phones are listed as the biggest distraction used by motorists today.

Distracted driving is to blame for some 80 percent of all crashes in the United States. Distractions cause a delay in reaction time, which can prove fatal.

If you use a cell phone behind the wheel, there are things you can do to improve your safety and that of others around you. They include:

•Just turning off the phone – Remove the temptation entirely to avoid problems behind the wheel.

•Using a hands-free headset – This can help reduce the risk, but it will not remove it entirely.

Cell phones are handy devices, but they can prove dangerous behind the wheel. The best advice from the NHTSA and others is to just hang up and drive. The conversation will wait.