Senators want to ban texting while driving

The legislation would require states to ban texting or e-mailing while operating a moving vehicle or risk losing 25 percent of their annual federal highway funding. It would be patterned after the way Congress required states to stiffen laws against drunken driving.

Fourteen states and the District of Columbia have passed laws making texting while driving illegal. It is still legal in Massachusetts.

Some critics have questioned whether the laws could be enforced, whether there is enough data to warrant such bans, and whether reckless driving statutes already cover texting behind the wheel.

Steve Largent, a former Oklahoma congressman who leads the advocacy group CTIA - The Wireless Association, said “simply passing a law will not change behavior. We also need to educate new and experienced drivers on the dangers of taking their eyes off the road and hands off the wheel.’’

The Governors Highway Safety Association, which represents state highway safety agencies, also said it does not support a ban because it would be difficult to enforce.

The bill follows a series of studies on the issue, including one released earlier this week that found when drivers of heavy trucks texted, their collision risk was 23 times greater than when not texting. Dialing a cellphone increased risk of collision about six times in cars and trucks.