You Said It: Should Drivers Be Barred From Talking on the Phone?

We asked readers on Facebook what they thought about the National Transportation Safety Board's recommendation that all cell phones, including hands-free devices, should be banned while driving, and the response was enthusiastic.

On Tuesday, the NTSB recommended a full ban on cell phones and text messaging while driving as a continuation of the Board's battle against distracted driving. "No call, no text, no update, is worth a human life," NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman said in a statement.

The NTSB noted an accident in Missouri last year where the driver of a pickup truck, who was sending text messages while driving, caused a pileup that killed two people and injured another 38.

This is in relation to the story, "Cell-Phone Ban in Cars Extreme," where TheStreet contributor Anton Wahlman argues against a full ban against devices while driving.

Below you'll find a sampling of readers' responses to this question on TheStreet's Facebook page: Do you agree with the NTSB that all cell phones and electronic devices should be banned while driving?

Donald Rivers: "Yes I am driving as I type this and I can't see pedestrians."

Brendan Major: "Only for those born before 1978 (they can NOT multitask and operate vehicles)."

Debbie McMenemy: "And talking to passengers too! And digging for things in and around the inside of your car. And smoking because you know your attention is not on driving while you're finding and lighting up a cigarette, and looking at maps while the car is moving, and, and, and... People just need to use their common sense while operating a vehicle. It can be a weapon!"

Todd Kleemann: "The government can't legislate the stupid out of society. In fact it is in the business of creating these mindless idiots. Bring back individual responsibility."

Bill Schroder: "Then we also need to ban makeup, coffee and other distractions... We ! can't le gislate away our personal responsibility to pay attention!"

Georgiana Craven Salter: "It is more dangerous than drinking while driving...so if you do it, you should get a ticket. I think that very few things should be regulated...but I think this should be one of them. You could kill me just to talk on the phone. No thanks."

John Cope: "There are always safe places to pull over and answer your 'ringy dingys'!"

Joe Ward: "With the all the tech nowadays, why did the cell phone manufacturing companies not add a safety motion sensor with GPS that kills the text mode, let's say anything moving over 5 mph or more?"

Marsha Zotta: "No. It's not about safety, it's about the money from fines."

David Torgerson: "No! They'll ban every device if you let them. Make using the devices safer."

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