In Arkansas, Representative Ray Kidd (D - Jonesboro) filed a bill to prohibit the use of hand-held cell phones while driving. The bill applies to hand-held units only (hands-free calls are fine) and bans all use, including talking and texting, while a car is being driven. Emergency workers, firefighters and law enforcement officers who are on the job would be exempt from the law.

This is not the first time Arkansas has tried to curtail the use of cell phones in cars. Last year, the House of Representatives rejected a similar bill, which would have prohibited drivers under the age of eighteen from using cell phones while driving, though it had previously won approval in the Arkansas Senate.

Meanwhile in Texas, technology is being seen as a good thing.

In Specifically, a report released on November 2nd revealed that automobile crashes had declined by as much as 30% at a sampling of intersections, and red-light cameras are credited with the positive change. .

In According to the report, the results, "卌annot conclusively determine that red light cameras are responsible for the overall reduction in crashes. The presence of the treatment provided some effect on the frequency of crashes at the selected intersections for the limited time period of this analysis."

The report, which was released by the Texas Department of Transportation, analyzed crashed from July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008 at a selection of intersections in twelve different cities. While the overall improvement was thirty percent, right-angle collisions were reduced by a whopping 43%.

Sadly, the cameras are not helping all accidents: rear-end collisions increased by five percent.