Editorial: Philly calling

Lawmakers in Harrisburg missed an opportunity the other day to follow the Philadelphia City Council's lead in banning drivers from talking on hand-held cell phones.

House Republicans rejected a measure on Wednesday to prohibit the use of hand-held phones while driving. But the issue isn't dead. State Rep. Josh Shapiro (D., Montgomery) plans to bring back a bipartisan measure aimed to improve public safety on the roads.

City Council, which isn't known for its pathbreaking, is actually leading the state on this issue.

Mayor Nutter's expected signature on the city ban - sponsored by Councilmen Bill Green, William K. Greenlee, and Frank Rizzo - will set a high bar. Not only will motorists be forbidden from using handheld phones on any city street, but so too will cyclists and skaters.

That sends the right safety message, if only up to a point. While the new law will encourage drivers to keep both hands on the wheel, it won't prohibit drivers from engaging in phone conversations using hands-free devices.

Safety experts say the distraction of the phone conversation itself puts motorists at the greatest risk of a serious accident. Indeed, even talking on a hands-free phone while behind the wheel is akin to driving drunk - which is why the National Safety Council recently called for a total ban on cell phones while driving.

The best message comes from the New Jersey Office of Highway Traffic Safety, where a statewide hand-held ban is in place. The no-nonsense advice to Jersey drivers: "Hang up; just drive."

If hand-held bans get more drivers to face up to the risks of any phone call from the road, they will prove their worth in the short run. With more data on the dangers of dialing and driving, outright bans on all calls might become more politically feasible.

With Philadelphia going to hands-free cell use, a huge swath of motorists will be covered. But with a likely challenge ahead over a conflict with state motor-vehicle rules, Harrisburg needs to answer the call on cell-phone safety.