Who among readers has not had a near collision because a driver was distracted while talking on a cell phone? Not very many, we bet. Just as cell phone signal emissions can interfere with airliner guidance, a cell phone conversation interfered with the driver's guidance system - the brain. A distracted driver is a danger to everyone else on the road.

Two S.C. legislators want to discourage motorists from phoning while driving. But their ideas for dealing with the problem don't go nearly far enough.

S.C. Sen. Larry Martin, R-Pickens, wants to empower the Highway Patrol to stop any motorist who acts inappropriately behind the wheel. He has asked the S.C. Public Safety Department for statistics possibly linking cell phone use to traffic collisions. Martin points out that phoning while driving is not the only activity that distracts drivers.

True. We have seen drivers reading books, looking at maps or directions, putting on makeup, shaving and even brushing their teeth. But our nonscientific survey of driver distraction sources shows that phone use is far and away the biggest problem.

Meanwhile, S.C. Rep. Lanny Littlejohn, R-Pacolet, will again propose legislation making it illegal for drivers younger than 18 to use cell phones. Such a proposal failed last session - for good reason. How on Earth are law enforcement officers supposed to gauge the age of the youthful blabbing drivers they spot on the road?

The General Assembly should ban drivers from using cell phones - period. Drivers who feel the urge to talk to friends - or who need to report an emergency - can pull off the road, increasing the safety of the motorists around them. Four states and the District of Columbia ban phone use while driving. It's time for South Carolina to join them.