Should the city of Missoula consider banning cell phone use while driving? At least one councilman seems to think so.

As it stands, texting and driving has been banned, however driving and making a phone call is still allowed. Dave Stromaier of the Missoula City Council is hoping to see to a change in that ruling.  

It makes sense, considering it is safer to keep your eyes on the road rather than attempt to talk on your phone with one hand while navigating through traffic with the other. Research has proven that distracted drivers can cause accidents, sometimes even death. The National Safety Council reports that 28 percent of vehicle accidents happen when people use their cell phones for either calling or texting.

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On the other hand, reports indicate that driving with both hands on the wheel while using a Bluetooth headset is just as dangerous. Plus, banning cell phone use is a hard rule to enforce. It's difficult to determine if a driver is texting, or digging for something in their backpack or purse. Other issues may arise when the topic of cars with built-in phone speakers are brought up.

Both Bozeman (see Youtube video report) and Whitefish have banned cell phone use altogether. Will Missoula be next?

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