More state legislatures are realizing the obvious and banning driving while phoning. Utah legislators should do the same. There is a growing number of fatal accidents caused by drivers in the Beehive State whose attention was diverted by chatting or texting, which caused a mistake, like running a red light, that killed someone else.

The latest of 16 states to join the drive toward cell phone sanity is California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who signed into law last month a ban on 16- and 17-year-olds using cell phones, laptop computers and other electronic devices while driving. The Golden State also has banned all drivers from using hand-held devices while they're behind the wheel.

The teen ban is a secondary offense, meaning that an officer cannot pull a driver over simply for text messaging or phoning, but can cite the driver if he or she is pulled over for something else.

The fine ranges from $20 to $50. Emergency calls are lawful.

Officers see what other motorists see. You can often spot someone who is on the phone from their erratic driving. They drift in their lane, or speed up or slow down for no apparent reason.

Actually, the reason is all in their head. The brain that is performing two tasks at once slows down in its processing. What's more, University of Utah researchers have identified cell-phone blindness. The brain is occupied with a conversation and it may not see something on the road ahead, even if the eyes are focused there.

Legislation similar to California's law has been introduced in the Utah Legislature in the past, but it has never passed. Apparently it will take more carnage to convince our lawmakers to address a public safety problem that is obvious to all who drive a vehicle, even the heedless double-taskers.