US pushes for UN texting while driving ban

The United States is pushing for a United Nations resolution in support of international bans on texting while driving.

UN Ambassador Samantha Power said in a speech the push to outlaw texting while driving in many US states should be replicated in other nations.

“Worldwide, six out of seven people have access to cell phones and more than a billion cars are on the road,” Power said. “In crowded conditions, with narrow roads and poor infrastructure, bicyclists and pedestrians are at particular risk. Too many drivers simply don’t understand the danger of taking their eyes, even briefly, from the road. And while drinking is episodic, the use of hand-held devices is chronic. No one should die -- or kill -- because of a text message.”

Forty-three US states have passed bans on texting while driving, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).