An effort in the Alabama House to prohibit drivers’ use of hand-held cell phones was rejected during the recently completed legislative session.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Jack Page, D-Gadsden, would have permitted only “hands-free” devices in moving vehicles.

HB117 remained in the House Public Safety Committee since it was introduced in early February.

The main objective for the ban was, “to address an unsafe condition on the roads which is becoming more and more hazardous,” Page told The Auburn Plainsman after introducing the bill.

Under the proposal, an infraction would be a primary offense, allowing police to pull over drivers with a phone to their ears. Violators could face a $50 fine with no points assessed to their license.

Seventeen states have some sort of restriction on mobile phone use in a vehicle, according to a 2003 report from the National Conference of State Legislatures. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that driver distraction is a factor in up to 30 percent of all motor vehicle crashes.