“Death by Cell Phone” is the title of a new billboard campaign launched by the NSC.

The billboards feature Linda, a 61-year-old wife, mother and grandmother from Oklahoma, and Joe, a 12-year-old boy from Michigan, both killed in car crashes caused by drivers using cell phones.

The phrase comes from what Linda’s daughter said about her mother’s crash: “My mother died within a couple of hours from blunt force trauma to the head, neck and chest. I just call it death by cell phone.”

A companion video is also available at DeathByCellPhone.org. The video tells Linda’s and Joe’s stories.

According to a 2008 poll by Nationwide Insurance, 81% of cell phone owners report talking on their phones while driving and 18% admit texting while driving.

In January, the NSC called for a nationwide ban on all forms of cell phone use while driving.

The following state bans are in effect, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

• 6 states (California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Utah and Washington) and Washington, DC, ban talking on a hand-held cell phone while driving.
• Use of all cell phones by novice drivers is restricted in 21 states and DC, and
• Text messaging is banned for all drivers in 14 states and DC.

Would you support a nationwide ban on all use of cell phones while driving? Let us know in the Comments Box below.