Anderson signs cell-phone ban

The bill never came to a vote during the last night of the session.

Meanwhile, other cities and states across the nation have imposed cell-phone bans as a way to protect public safety. In 1999, Brooklyn, Ohio became the first city in the United States to ban cell phones while driving. Four states — California, Connecticut, New Jersey and New York — as well as the District of Columbia have since followed suit.

A number of other nations also have bans, including Australia, Austria, Brazil, Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, Kenya, the Netherlands, Poland and Russia.

Thronson said Anderson is hopeful his ban will have a ripple effect and encourage people to hang up while driving.

"We're working on ways to partner with the business community and with individuals in the community to encourage this at a grass-roots level and get people to voluntarily discontinue cell phone use," Thronson said.

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