U.S. & World

TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) ― A member of New Jersey's state assembly is calling for a ban on text messaging while driving, as police look into whether such messages played a role in the car accident that seriously injured Gov. Jon S. Corzine.

Democratic assemblyman Paul Moriarty says text messaging while driving is "more dangerous than talking on a cell phone because I believe you can keep your eyes on the road when talking on a cell phone."

That's not the case when typing and sending text messages, he said.

"I only assume they're using their knees to drive," Moriarty said.

Meantime, New Jersey police are investigating whether text messaging played a role in the April 12 car wreck that sent Gov. Corzine to the hospital.

Investigators want to know if Corzine's driver was distracted before the accident by text messages from a Berkeley Heights police officer angry about the driver having an alleged affair with his wife, though state police union officials contend the driver wasn't distracted by any message.

Corzine suffered numerous broken bones in the crash, breathed with the help of a ventilator for more than a week and was unable to resume work as governor until Monday. He faces a long recovery. He told the media he wasn't sure that he would survive the ordeal, and feels blessed to be alive. He has also admitted he wasn't wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident.

The proposed bill is scheduled to be considered by an Assembly committee on Thursday. It would fine drivers up to $250 if caught using mobile devices to send text messages. Unlike the state's ban on using a hand-held cell phone while driving, police would be able to stop anyone they see sending text messages while driving.

Police can only give tickets for using a hand-held cell phone while driving if they pull over a driver for another reason.

Arizona, Connecticut and Washington are among the states considering similar laws to ban text messaging while driving.

Moriarty, of Gloucester County, cited a recent Nationwide Insurance survey that found one in five people text while driving. That number soars to about one in three among those aged 18 to 34. The survey predicted both those estimates would rise as more people get access to mobile devices that allow text messaging.

"I think we have to get out ahead of this and send a strict message that this is dangerous," Moriarty said.

Yet safety advocates said focus is needed on all driver distractions, not just texting.

"Removing driving distractions from the roads is a worthy undertaking," said David Weinstein, spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic. "When you name one distraction in law and leave others unnamed, what you're doing is implicitly okaying the unnamed distractions."

He said careless driving prohibitions already ban acts like texting while driving.

"We already have a law to tackle this and every distraction on the road," Weinstein said.

Inattentive driving was the leading cause of fatal accidents in New Jersey in 2005, factoring into 172 of 767 fatalities. The state doesn't track what distractions caused the accidents.

A proposal by Assemblymen John Wisniewski and Joseph Vas would require police accident reports detail whether drivers were distracted and what type of distraction was involved.

"A quick glance at directions, a cell phone number, a text message or even the radio dial can mean the difference between a safe trip and a car accident," said Wisniewski, D-Middlesex. "With distracted driving becoming the rule rather than the exception, details concerning driver distractions should be required information on all police accident reports."

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