A majority of Pennsylvanians said they'd support a ban on handheld cell phone use while driving, according to a Quinnipiac University poll last month.

That study came on the heels of a bill introduced in February in the state Legislature that would prohibit motorists from using handheld cell phones while driving.

State Rep. Josh Shapiro, D-153rd, introduced the bill with 70 cosponsors that would fine drivers $50 for every violation of the proposed law. Drivers still would be able to talk on a cell phone if they use a hands-free device like headphones.

Shapiro previously cited statistics from the state's Department of Transportation that said there were 1,245 accidents in Pennsylvania in 2007 attributed to drivers using handheld mobile phones but only 56 accidents related to the use of hands-free devices.

Five states have already banned the use of handheld cell phones while driving and another 10 states have banned text messaging while driving.

The Quinnipiac poll, which surveyed 1,056 Pennsylvanians in March, found 85 percent of those polled supported a ban on handheld cell phone use in a car and 89 percent of those supported a ban on text messaging.

A few residents in the Cranberry Township area tend to support a cell phone ban.

Jack Hogan, a truck driver who lives in Cranberry, said his company mandates all drivers pull off the road to make cell phone calls.

He said a state cell phone ban wouldn't be out of line considering all the drivers he sees concentrating on their conversations more than the road. It's a law he said would make Pennsylvania roads safer in the long run.

"How many time do you see people driving down the road with coffee in one hand and a cell phone in the other?" he said. "It's just not safe."

Sue Heisler of Harmony said she uses a hands-free device that connects through her car's audio system.

She thinks future cars will come equipped with hands-free technology but a state law banning handheld phone use would help curb accidents now instead of later.

"It's a distraction," she said. "That's not to say I don't do it, but would I support a ban? Absolutely, because nothing's worse than losing a loved one in a car accident."

Not everyone is as enthusiastic about a potential cell phone ban.

State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-12th, called Shapiro's bill nothing more than the state government's attempt to micromanage people's lives.

Metcalfe told a story about driving to Harrisburg on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and seeing someone reading a book while driving. He believes there are many distractions that make roads unsafe and that cell phone use is only one part of the puzzle.

"There are some of us who believe that adults have an option to make choices and be responsible to those choices," Metcalfe said. "I wouldn't want to restrict that access to cell phones, and that option should be there for people who are responsibly using that freedom."

Metcalfe also said there are many other distractions that keep drivers' attention away from the road. He said the state government shouldn't make a law banning one of those actions without banning all of those actions.

Still, some voters remain convicted that a handheld cell phone ban is a great way to cut down on unnecessary distractions and unfortunate accidents on the road.

"It's a great idea (the ban) because too many times you see people paying more attention to their conversations then the road and traffic," said Michelle Weiss of Cranberry Township. "