Congressman says it’s too early to hang up on cell phones in cars

Banning the use of cellular phones in all vehicles is being considered by federal officials. A Congressional hearing Wednesday featured a top government safety official who said it’s too soon to ban wireless phones from vehicles. Iowa Congressman Tom Latham agrees, saying there are alternatives to banning phones.Robert Shelton, the executive director of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, testified that his agency needs more time to investigate the entire range of distractions for motorists. Latham says he’d like to keep the government from intruding on people’s lives.A Harvard study found cellular phones are involved in as many as one thousand traffic fatalities and up to 650-thousand crashes each year.