this is a recommendation made by the national transportation safety board. local lawmakers call this on realistic. kim dacey joins us live from north baltimore with more details. >> good morning. the national transportation safety board made the case for cutting off cell phone usage behind the wheel, including hands-free devices and speakerphones. it is only a recommendation at this point prompted by a deadly crash last year. the ntsb said the driver exchanged 11 text messages well behind the wheel. a delegate does not believe the cell phone ban is realistic in any state but she believes to time to tighten at maryland's law. yuca and get pulled over for texting while driving but not dialing your phone. >> the law is inconsistent. how can you have a texting law that makes it a primary offense and the use of a cell phone as a secondary offense? you have to use the cell phone to text. >> the delegate wants to make talking without it handsfree devised a primary offense that comes with a stiffer penalty. the recommendation would allow drivers to use a gps device w

the national transportation safety board wants to put the brakes on texting behind the wheel.ncy says drivers are being driven to distractions. >> the ntsb is calling for a nationwide ban on all portable electronic devices while driving. bed bigad shaban has more. >> john is a fabric salesman who spends three hours a day driving while talking on his hands-free cell phone. >> if i don't have that luxury, almost wasted time while i'm driving. >> the national transportation safety board is calling for state bans nationwide on the use of portable electronic devices while driving. gps tools are not included. but cell phones are. >> that does apply to bluetooth, hand-held, hands free. it is both the visual and the cognitive distractions and the manual distractions we're concerned about. >> according to the federal government, more than 3,000 people died last year in accidents because the driver was distracted. investigators point to this, chain reaction pileup. a 19-year-old driver sent 11 text messages in the 11 minutes he slammed into a truck. he and another teenager were killed a

the national transportation safety board -- national traffic highway association said as more car manufacturers go keyless, a safety issue is emerging. they could reuse is the number of caron monoxide poisoning by requiring that each car have an alarm, a sound you would hear if you try to walk away without turning the car off. they say you could also reduce the number of rollaway accidents when a car just rolls forward if it's the same audible alert let people know they were trying to turn the car off before putting it in park. now, there have been some situations where people's gas pedals were stuck down on the car and it was moving quickly. they tried to shut it off by hitting the power button. but, it didn't hold the button down quite long enough. nitsa wants to standardize the buttons. so, in an emergency, the car would immediately turn off with just one quick touch. joel pitt said that keyless cars should have a fail-safe shutoff. >> if you're far enough away from the car, whether that is 20 feet or 50 feet or 10, whatever it is, that it would automatically shut it down and this would not

the national transportation safety board says handsfree is not enough. any use of a cell phone while driving is dangerous. the ntsb wants states to forbid their use. if you see what you think are suicidal comments on a friend's facebook messages, you can alert facebook. if the view is agree, the friend will get an e-mail offering counciling. twitter includes stories tailored to your interest. >> they can take you to a section called browse interests. you can see all sorts of different categories. if you like music, they suggest different people you can follow. >> twitter has been growing rapidly since it became part of apple's operating system in october. i'm rob nelson. >> i cannot keep up with all of these changes. every week there is a new change. >> it seems to be working pretty well. >>> all right. we want to know what is happening on the weather front. it is warning today. -- warmer today. >> if it had to tweet it. mild morning. comfortable afternoon. warmer tomorrow with a chance of rain let in the day -- late in the day. >> a chance of precip frid

the national transportation safety board says that all calling, texstiting and internet surfing is dangerousared it to drinking and driving. jay korff has more. >> our nation's near dependence on the ubiquitous cell phone has created a driving the level. >> of those who are distracted are 26 times more likely to be involved in a crash. >> the ntsb is recommending that every state ban drivers from taxiexting and talking on a cell phone para >> i think that is ridiculous. >> others agree. >> you don't text, don't talk on the phone. >> we have gotten to the point where we cannot live without our phones. people are not paying attention. >> he runs the traffic division. >> we need to do something to make a difference. >> he speaks from personal experience. in 2008, his son died in a car accident in which the driver was distracted. >> i am appreciative the ntsb came forth on this because it only confirms what we know. that distracted driving kills and changes lives forever >> this is just a recommendation. it is up to policymakers to make the next move. >>> it could soon cost you more to catch a c

. >> the national transportation safety board made the case for cutting off cell phone usage behind the wheel. that would include using a speaker phone. it is only a recommendation at this point. the ntsb found it was caused by a driver who exchanged 11 text messages well behind the wheel. enn does not believe a cell phone band is realistic in any state. you can get pulled over for texting while driving but not for dialing your phone. that is a secondary offense in maryland. >> the laws are inconsistent. how can you have a texting law that makes it a primary offense and the use of a cell phone as a secondary offense? you have to use the cell phone to text. you can't do one without the other. >> she wants to make talking without a handsfree device a primary offense that comes with a stiffer penalty than 8 $40 fine. drivers are allowed to use gps devices while behind the wheel. kim dacey, wbal-tv 11 news. >> thank you. that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. what do you think of the idea of banning the use of all mobile devices while driving? you can share your response at

. >> reporter: and many, including the national transportation safety board, say the new rules fall substantiallying with the problems of commuting pilots. younger, less well-paid pilots end up sleeping in those crash pads. >> it was never really good sleep. >> reporter: former pilot josh verde says he was one of those pilots, forced to sleep in crash pads when he commuted for florida for flights based out of newark airport. >> you would have people coming in and out. i happened to have a bunk mate that snored louder than anyone i've heard in my life. >> reporter: verde says while the airlines provide rooms during a trip, it's the night before where pilots are scrambling for a place to sleep. >> they are aware of what's going on and they just sort of say, you know, figure it out. >> reporter: and many pilots can't afford the $25 a night for a crash pad, so, they end up behind the locked doors of the airport, where the public can't see them, spending the night in the airline's crew lounges. critics say the new faa rules will not solve the problem. >> that danger is still there. the new rules do no

. >>> the nags p-national transportation safety board wants a ban on cell phones behind the wheel. >> you need full focus, i think to operate a car, to navigate. >> reporter: now the national transportation safety board is questioning the safety of operating a vehicle while using just about any electronic device, including those that are hands free. >> it's about not being engaged in the task at hand. >> reporter: the ntsb is recommending a 50-state ban. pda's, tablet computers and ipods. there was an investigation no a multivehicle accident in missouri of 2010. by the time the last car crashed two school busses were on top of each other. two were dead. 38 were injured. the board believes texting and driving caused the accident. according to an institute study, if they're emailing on the phone, on the net or texting while on the road, the chances for causing an incident goes up 163 times. an accident in 2008, an jar ran a signal after texting. reporting for abc2 news. >> stay with us. ? >>> want to show you this freeway out of california, a crash involving at least eight big rigs. a

the national transportation safety board says it's a matter of life and death. and there are recommendations and reaction autos ntsb doesn't have the power to impose restriction buzz what they recommend does influence regulators as well as state lawmakers and those on capitol hill. there is enough with talking and texting while behind the wheel that. is the unanimous consensus of the national transportation safety board. saying even hands free devices should be off limb nits yit autos we know this is going to be very unpopular with some people. but we're not here to win a popularity contest. we're here to do the right thing. >> state senator simidian is the aunlor of california cell phone laws saying today's federal recommendation probably go further than most states are willing to go. he welcomes what he calls a startling development. >> for years, a lot of people could have rolled their eyes i think there is an increasing understanding reflected in this announcement this is a live or death matter. >> and ntsb says 3,000 people die every year due to distracted d

. >>> a bold new push from the national transportation safety board is calling for an all-out ban of cell phone use while driving. that means no texting, no talking, not even hands-free devices. and now it is up to the states to carry out that recommendation. nbc's brian mooar has details. >> reporter: what began as a school bus trip in missouri ended in a deadly chain collision crash and more than a year later it's leading to a call for an outright ban on drivers using mobile phones. >> and, yes, that does apply to bluetooth, hand-held, hands-free. a visual and cognitive distractions and manual distractions we're concerned about. >> reporter: it's one of the most sweeping recommendations ever by the national transportation safety board. >> it may seem like a very quick call, a very quick text, a tweet or an update. but accidents happen in the blink of an eye. >> reporter: drivers could still use gps or other devices that aid driving. and passengers wouldn't be faeked but the ntsb call is only a recommendation. distracted driving has been cited in failure commuter train accident in ca

and the national transportation safety board says something has to be done. ore has the story from capitol hill. >>

concerned about. >> reporter: it's one of the most sweeping recommendations ever by the national transportation safety board. >> it may seem like a very quick call, a very quick text, a tweet or an update. but accidents happen in the blink of an eye. >> reporter: drivers could still use gps or other devices that aid driving. and passengers wouldn't be affected, but the ntsb call is only a recommendation. distracted driving has been cited in a fatal commuter train accident in california, a deadly boat collision in philadelphia and a passenger jet that strayed 100 miles past its destination. investigators say the true toll of distracted driving is impossible to measure. while a phone ban may be inconvenient -- >> death is inconvenient. >> reporter: a new drive to force american motorists to put down their phones. brian mooar, nbc news, washington. >>> on the eve of today's tribute speech by the president to america's military, vice president joe biden made an exclusive appearance last night on the rachel maddow show and rachel asked how he feels about the role he played in help to go bring one of the country'

the national transportation safety board wants to ban all cell phone is behind the wheel nationwide yibin to handsfree devices although it does allow devices that are already built into cars. officials say is sulfonium cars have always been a dangerous mix. >> this is becoming the new deal live. fit is becoming an epidemic. if we do not act now, how many lives will we lose a the next 30 years? i do not think that we can afford to wait thick soft >> congress would have to approve this band. charles crawford are reaction today from the chp. >>charles: back in 2008 california band talking in detecting while driving. at first, drivers seemed to get the message but several years later, complacency set in. >> highway patrol has issued over 150,000 citations. there is definitely a need for constant enforcement. there is a high level of complacency and people disregarding. some of them are just rolling the dice. >> it would definitely help with the general public. if you come on a collision scene and see the tragedy and carnage because someone simply was not paying attention, i think more people

even that is considered to be too dangerous now according to the national transportation safety board, the ntsb t. board is pushing all states to ban drivers from using cell phones at all and in any way you possibly could imagine when you're behind the wheel. that would mean no talking on your bluetooth except on emergency and no texting or e-mailing which is already illegal in the state of california. this recommendation was ordered in part because of an accident last year in ms. sorry in which a teen driver in a pickup truck sent or received 11 texts in 11 minutes. investigators believe that distraction is what caused him to plow into the back of a truck. that teen and other were killed. 38 more were injured. texting while driving. to give you an idea of how prevalent distracted driving is, the national transportation safety board found 13.5 million drivers are using hand-held cell phones at any moment. again, ha is already illegal in this state. over 3,000 people were killed last year because someone was driving distracted. one in five americans admit to having texted or e-mailing

realized, wow, this could be one of them someday. >> reporter: the recommendations by the national transportation safety board are not binding but they can be a big influence on federal regulators and state lawmakers. in 2003, the board recommended it experienced... inexperienced drivers be banned from using cell phones while in moving vehicles and, scott, 30 states now prohibit new drivers from all cell phone use. >> pelley: so it's most likely to be up to the individual states. elaine, thank you very much. all of this had us thinking today about other transportation mishaps linked to distractions from high-tech devices. listen to these. in 2008, a head-on collision of two trains in california killed 25 people. an engineer was texting and mess add stop signal. in 2009, a northwest airlines flight from dallas overshot minneapolis by 100 miles because the pilots were on their laptops. and in 2010, two tourists were killed when a tug boat hit a tour boat on the delaware river. the tug boat's mate was on his cell phone and his computer. jerry sandusky vowed today that he will fight charges that he sexually abuse

and later, the national transportation board will talk about their role as an independent federal agency live at 7:00 a.m. you're on c-span. host: our guest on newsmaker is is senator john barrasso who has just been elected the policy senate chair for the senate republicans. our two reporters will be questioning you. we are taping this on friday morning with the news of a compromise being struck last night on the spending bill. do you think -- what do you think the message is from the past week to the public of congress. >> both sides want to make sure the government stays open and no one is interested in a shut down. the public sees a lot of playing the politics starting with the white house and with an election year coming and the debates we have had of the presidential candidates, the public is in for one year of up and down discussions and debates. hopefully, we can get through the politics of that and we can get people back to work host: do you think republicans gave for got more in this? >> in terms of wanting to extend the unemployment benefits, that is included in what we are wor

later, from the national transportation board. that is live at 7:00 a.m. eastern here on c-span. >> the last prime minister's questions of the year. " from the premier's new year's message from last january. he probed the liberal democrat coalition over the prime minister's decision to veto the european union treaty changes. this is about 35 minutes. >> questions to the prime minister. >> i am sure that the whole house will wish to join me in paying tribute to sapper elijah bond of 35 engineer regiment, who died in queen elizabeth hospital, birmingham last thursday as a result of wounds that he had sustained in afghanistan. he was a dedicated and highly professional soldier, and at this tragic time we should send our condolences to his loved ones, his friends and his colleagues. we should send our condolences to his loved ones from his friends and his colleagues. >> this morning i'd meet with minister colleagues and others. in addition to my duties in this house i shall of further such meetings later today. >> richard fuller. >> trying to -- mr. speaker, th

. >>> now to a developing story out of washington where the national transportation safety board is recommending states ban the use of cell phones and other electronic devices by all drivers. the cause of that accident was because of the inattention of a 19-year-old driver who sent or received 11 text messages in the 11 minutes prior to the accident. 38 people were injured in the crash. the driver and a 15-year-old student on the school bus were killed. >> it's about a cognitive distraction. it's about not being engaged in the task at hand. >> the rec men disaitions do not make -- recommendations do not make exceptions for cell phone calls for emergencies. >>> all right. the presidential dollar coins which have been made since 2005 but stored in a baltimore bank will no longer be made the hogs is stopping -- obama administration is stopping nearly all production. now instead of producing the coins, the u.s. mint will produce as many as collectors want. >>> he may have been injured but ravens linebacker ray lewis is not sitting out this christmas season. help spent time were kids at a wal-mart. e

the board. yeah, the national transportation safety board wants to pass this law. it doesn't have any authority to enforce the law but hope lawmakers will catch on. the new proposal is to have no texting, no talking and no hands-free devices while driving. they did a study and found distracted driving is an epidemic. on any given day, 13.5 million drivers are on the hands-free device and last year, nearly 3100 fatal accidents involved distracted driving. one member said that distracted driving is the new dui. here's what one cbs analyst has to say about the new proposal. >> but there may well be technological advances that actually negate the need for something like this. >> like? >> well, for example, the ntsb asked the manufacturers of the consumer electronic product and the cellular telephone industry to create some applications which in fact would disable the while the driver is moving. that can happen. >> reporter: state snow joe simitian of palo alto -- state senator joe simitian of palo alto who author california's cell phone law says he doubts whether lawmak

today the national transportation safety board took an unprecedented step. d recommended banning all portable electronic devices even your blue tooth set. the ntsb says texting and talking led to at least 3,000 deaths a year and its time for a nationwide ban. >> we know that this recommendation is going to be very unpopular with some people. but we're not here to win a popularity contest. we're here to do the right thing. >> we talked with bay area drivers today and the opinions were 50-50. >> i would say yeah. ban it. i use it for work. but try to pull offer. >> i think hands free devices are fine ask safe. >> now, the national transportation safety board does not have authority to impose those recommendations but it does influence regulators and lawmakers. >> and this topic is a hot topic on our facebook page. heather asks this. why does ntsb have control over rights? >> patty says it only takes one careless jerk to kill my children. so i have to say a agree. >> lisa says when are people going to get it? what do you think? tell us and we'd love to hear from

those federal experts you talk about are the ntsb, the national transportation safety board. it is a strict proposal. the ntsb has no authority to enforce the law. but it's hoping that lawmakers will follow suit. so no texting according to the proposal. no hands-free devices, just bluetooth, they are a thing of the past. no talking at all while driving. the ntsb says any type of distract driving is bad. they did a study and found that on any given time of the day, 13.5 million drivers are on a hands-free device but last year, nearly 3100 fatal accidents on our roads involved distracted drivers. now, one member said if it went so far as to describe distracted driving as becoming the new dui. >> there may well be technological advances that actually negate the need for something like this. >> like? >> well, for example, the ntsb asked the manufacturers of the consumer electronic product and the cell telephone industry to create applications which in fact would disable the device while the driver is moving. that can happen. >> reporter: state senator joe simitian of palo alto is

the national transportation safety board has spoken. now, we'll see if state lawmakers across the country listen. >> they're recommending that drivers be banned from all cell phone use behind the wheel, even if you have a hands-free device. 9news now reporter surae chinn joins us live from the story. i think she's behind the wheel. good morning, surae. >> good morning. i am behind the wheel. you know this. all of you guys know this. that distracted driving is an epidemic. now, the ntsb is targeting your cell phone. they're even targeting your bluetooth. this is really the most comprehensive recommendation that we have seen so far when it comes to cell phones and all personal electronic devices, even using your cell phones with those hands-free devices, the only exception would be for emergencies and your gps. >> that does apply to bluetooth, hand-held, hands- free. it is both the visual and the cognitive distractions and the manual distractions we're concerned about. >> now, this, what you're watching is a powerful psa running on network

later, debra hersman, chairman of the national transportation safety board, discusses the role of the agency responsible for investigating transportation accidents. "washington journal" is next." [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2011] host: welcome to "washington journal" this monday, december 19, 2011. news from north korea that leader kim jong il has died. this 20-something year old song kim jong un is the heir apparent and looks to be the successor. the house will meet at 10:00 this morning despite the initial plan to be on holiday recess this week. yesterday house speaker john boehner said on "meet the press" that house republicans will reject the payroll tax cut plan between the senate and white house. our question is what you think about speaker boehner's news that he is rejecting the senate payroll tax cut plan. here are the numbers to call -- you can also e-mail us and find us on twitter -- and we are on facebook. here is the story in "the financial times" this morning. let's look at some more coverage o

also the west side with pocket delays from i-795 to baltimore national pike on the outer loop lanes. back to you. >>> the national transportation safety boardctions so it's asking states to pick up the fight and invoke bans across the board. sherrie johnson has the story. we were first told no handheld cell phones, no talking. now they are saying the whole thing, hands-free, all of it, forget it. >> reporter: the basic thing is they just want your eyes on the road and steering wheel and focused so we don't have to lose any more lives. basically we've been doing a little digging this morning and found texting and driving is banned in 35 states and the district, handheld cell phone use is outlawed in 10 states and district but it's not good enough. a warning shot went out from the nation's top safety officials. the ntsb put any driver who talks on a cell phone or sends a text message behind the wheel on notice. the ntsb says enough is enough already. they say states need to take action, tough action and are calling for phones to be off limits while you're in the car. this means no hands-free devices, no bluetooth and for anyone who does not c

that's what the national transportation board is calling for. area father says it's about time. >> reporter: distracted driving, the california office of traffic safety says it's caused the death of more than 100 people in the state last year. one of them was 2-year-old caley murray. she was in a crosswalk with her mother a year ago this month when a teenage driver ran into her. the driver kat eland dunaway admitted to texting at the time. >> i will drive alongside of them and i will say hey, you know it's against the law. then i tell them, hey, you're doing the exact same thing that killed my daughter. >>> the ntsb is urging state government to prohibit drivers from using any kind of electronic portable device while behind the wheel. there's no law against using hands free devices. the highway patrol says even hands free is not danger free. >> operating a cell phone be it hands free, texting or anything like that takes your mind off of driving. >> reporter: the ntsb recommendations are just that, recommendations but they can carry weight with l

that's what the national transportation board is calling for. ay area father says it's about time. >> reporter: distracted driving, the california office of traffic safety says it's caused the death of more than 100 people in the state last year. one of them was 2-year-old caley murray. she was in a crosswalk with her mother a year ago this month when a teenage driver ran into her. the driver kat eland dunaway admitted to texting at the time. >> i will drive alongside of them and i will say hey, you know it's against the law. then i tell them, hey, you're doing the exact same thing that killed my daughter. >>> the ntsb is urging state government to prohibit drivers from using any kind of electronic portable device while behind the wheel. there's no law against using hands free devices. the highway patrol says even hands free is not danger free. >> operating a cell phone be it hands free, texting or anything like that takes your mind off of driving. >> reporter: the ntsb recommendations are just that, recommendations but they can carry weight with

. >> this is that the chain reaction crash prompted the national transportation safety board to make a drastic recommendation, and outright ban on a cellphone usage behind the wheel. >> yes, that does apply to bluetooth, handheld, hands-free. it is the visual and cognitive and manual distractions we are concerned about. >> i 19-year-old driver caused this misdirects, exchanging 11 texts while driving. delicate cheryl glenn it does not believe a cellphone ban is realistic in any state, but police is time to tighten maryland's's laws about talking or texting in the driver's seat. currently you can get pulled over for texting but not for dialing the phone. >> the laws are inconsistent. how can you have at texting law that makes it a primary offense and using a solvent that is secondary? you have to use a cellphone to text. >> officials said cellphone use has also been decided in a fatal train accident in california and a deadly boat condition in -- deadly boat collision in philadelphia. ntsb argues that the phone band may be inconvenient -- >> death is inconvenient. >> in a lot of driver

this comes from the national transportation safety board. the ntsb, the very serious folks who investigate airline crashes among other things. and their advice is likely to carry a lot of weight. they've determined too many people are dying because of distracted driving, and they want it outlawed. of course, here's what they're up against, the millions of us who drive distracted on occasion, especially those of us who think we're fine, it's the other drivers who present the greatest danger on the road. well, it's about to become a bigger issue than it already is. we begin tonight with nbc's tom costello in washington. tom, good evening. >> reporter: hi, brian. the government says at any given moment, 1 out of 100 drivers you pass on the road is texting while driving. the ntsb calls it an epidemic, says too many people, thousands of people, are dying, and it has to end. investigators say this fatal chain reaction crash involving two school buses in missouri last year, was caused by a 19-year-old pickup driver texting while driving. 11 texts in

tonight, the national transportation safety board wants to do something about all that. nny hong live with the reames that can mean no more talking on cell phones for good. anny, what are we talking about? >> bruce, this is really big news. we know it's easy to get distracted. you have the gps going, maybe the radio on. that is why federal accident investigators want all states to ban the use of these things while driving. that means no talking, texting, e-mailing that includes hands- free devices. >> we know that this recommendation is going to be very unpopular with some people. but we're not hear to win a popularity contest. we're here to do the right thing. >> it's a br

the national transportation safety board made recommendation just last week but transportation secretary says hands free devices aren't the problem, and blames the use of texting for many of the accidents. without the backing that is dead on arriveal. >> and there is 12 million bottles of motrin being recalled over concerns it may be slow and taking affect. tests found they near their dates taking too long to dissolve. and. >> that is good to know, thank you very much. >> and perfect story for holidays. >> and a bay area artist has been designing toy that's might wind up in your child's hands this year so what should you look for in a toy? showing us some of the designers' most famous work. >> this is the first toy i designed out of school so i'm proud that have one. >> he was fascinated by toys from his childhood and has never outgrown them. now, he designs toys and teaches at academy of art university. >> i started designing don't spill the beans, ants on the pants and cootie. >> and like mr. potato head, this mouth is removeable. he's known for character design. >> this is my new kid'

have that luxury, then it means almost wasted time while i'm driving. >> reporter: the national transportation safety board is calling for state bans nationwide on the use of portable electronic devices while driving. gps tools are not included. but cell phones are. >> that does apply to bluetooth, hand-held, hands-free. it is both a visual and cognitive distraction and manual distractions we are concerned. >> reporter: investigators point to this chain reaction pileup. a 19-year-old driver sent 11 text messages in the 11 minutes before he slammed into a truck. he and another teenager were killed and 38 others were injured. >> we are looking for anything that will keep people safe on the road. >> reporter: jeff spring is with aaa which backs a complete phone ban for teen drivers, but he says to change the culture, you need more than just laws. >> we have to have good education as well and good enforcement as well. people have to know there will be penalties if these laws are passed. >> reporter: skunzio understands the convenience of a ban but dreads the inconvenience. >> i think it would cause a stir with

a team from the national transportation safety board is investigating. >>> singer mindy mccready is speaking out with her first interview since taking her son on the run and is revealing details. >> he was screaming. "please do not touch me. please to not touch me. please do not touch my mommy. please leave me alone, i want to be with my mommy." >> mindy mccready described the scene when u.s. marshals took her son from her arms. police say the singer who lost custody of zander took him from his legal guardian, her mother. the adduction landed her in front of a judge, but monday she emerged from court with a huge grin. >> i cannot talk about it. >> the custody case is sealed but things are moving in a good direction according to mindy mccready. >> she was on celebrity we have last year. she says she is pregnant with twins and hence a new love. she says her new life will not be complete until zander is with her, and bringing him to arkansas was a risk she will not regret. >> what i did was to protect my child. not a person in the world will tell me that is wrong. >> the tories will not say whe

recent survey found 49 percent of americans support a controversial recommendation by the national transportation safety board that drivers be banned from using cell phones, except for emergency situations. . what would you do if such a law was passed? online survey shows most would follow the law, although most said they would still use a hands-free device to make emergency calls. you can vote on our web page at wbaltv.com. >> if you are waiting for any packages from the decks, you might want to install surveillance video. -- from fedex. >> wait until you hear what was inside the box. >> we got inside the apartment and found it quite disturbing. >> a toddler found malnourished and dehydrated after being left alone for days. >> howard county high-school choir students are spreading joy throughout >> live , local, late breaking, you are watching wbal-tv 11 news in hd. your insta-weather-plus forecast with chief meteorologist tom tasselmire. 5:00 in hd continues right now. to go a tug of war between the school board and officials. they say they're being shortchanged by the county and a first time. that is why

the national transportation board says it does not matter whether your hands are free because your mind is still distracted center focusing on the road. they suggested banning cell phone use completely while driving, a move many drivers are not fans of. a recent survey showed that 40% do not consider it unsafe for drivers to use a hands free device while driving. >>> a fire tore their a home in the 18,000 block of bilney drive. fire crews believe the fire started on the rear deck and extended to the roof. the roof suffered serious damage, but luckily no one was hurt. >>> three people were injured when a school bus crashed into a building. this happened yesterday in a bus parking lot in waldorf. school officials say two female drivers got into an argument. they believe it stemmed from a judge refuse to go grant one of them a restraining order. it's unknown if the bus drivers was one of those injured. >>> a judge sentenced to former national zoo employees for trying to poison ferrell cats. >> doctor, would you care to make any statements? >> i have no comment. >> nico dolfine received a 1

. >> reporter: the crash was the national transportation safety board's first investigation into distracted driving related to the use of a cell phone. >> it may seem like a quick call, text a tweet or an update but accidents happen in the blink of an eye. >>> >> in a crash in missouri last year, a 19-year-old pickup truck driver exchanged numerous texts before slamming into a truck and being hit by two school buses. >> the driver distraction found us. >> the ntsb's representations are controversial and just that, recommendations. back to you. >> thanks, jackie. >>> an 85-year-old woman is still shaken up after being ambushed and robbed on her way to church. it happened on shepherd street in the brooklyn neighborhood of northeast washington. the woman said she was scraping ice off her car when a man reached inside her car and grabbed her purse. she grabbed the ice scraper to defend herself. >> fighting with him with my ice defroster shaver. he took off so fast and threw me to the ground. >> while the woman was distracted a second person jumped into the car and sped off. >>> investigators ar

. >> reporter: on a rare tour of the national transportation safety board video lab we saw shaky raw footage from cameras spun into gold to help prevent future accidents. home video caught the engines coming off this tanker. >> we can seat engine separate and fly up. >> reporter: without the video they may have thought an explosion caused the crash. knows the engines came off helped them pinpoint metal fatigue . >>> it's not just in the air. investigators used image from a camera at an aquorum to show a tourist boat was hiding in a tug boat blind spot. >> is he bearing down without knowing it. correct. >> and you were able to see that. >> yes. >> reporter: sound to. an incident in san diego, espieding coast guard vessel that smashed into a pleasure boat and killed a little boy. the sound of the boat's engines proved. >> speed to be approximately 43 miles an hour. >> reporter: is that fast? >> it's to fast for conditions. >> reporter: and this scary flight was shot by a tourist one year before a deadly accident. with the same pilot, proving he was reckless. >> turned out to be deadly.

. >>> the national transportation board is calling for a ban of cell phone use and driving.drivers are more than 160 times more likely to be involved in an accident when texting or e- mailing. government statistics say more than 3,000 people died on the road last year as a result of distracted driving. >> i think it's time to face the facts that no one can drive safely when they're distracted. and it's not just about the driver that's distracted it's about the safety of everyone else who's on the roadway with them. >> reporter: the recommendation is adopted by states would outlaw nonemergency phone calls and texting by drivers of every vehicle on the road. if you can imagine today's recommendation has a lot of drivers talking. ktvu's rob roth here to talk about the proposed changes really don't end there, rob. >> reporter: the ntsb says using a cell phone even hands free is dangerous and should be banned. distracted driving, the california office of traffic safety says it's caused the death of more than 150 people last year. one of those was kelly purr murray she was in a cr

. >> reporter: on a rare tour of the national transportation safety board video lab we saw shakey, rawootage from cell phones dashboard and surveillance cams spun into investigative gold to help prevent future accidents. home video caught the engines come offing this 707 military tanker. >> we can see an engine separate from the wing. >> reporter: without the video investigators might have thought an explosion caused the crash. knowing the engines came off before the fire helped investigators pinpoint metal fatigue. now the ntsb is poised to make recommendations on new inspections. it is not just in the air where video can help prevent future tragedies. investigators used an image from a camera aquarium to show a philadelphia tourist boat was hiding in a tugboat's blind spot. he's bearing down without knowing it. >> correct. >> reporter: and your video allowed you to figure that out? >> it did >> reporter: sound too can be critical. an incident in san diego, a speeding coast guard vessel which moments later smashed into a pleasure boat and killed a little boy. the sound of the boat's e

the national transportation safety board is investigating. in the connecticut house, five people died in a christmas morning fire. the mother who is a new york agency advertising executive meted out of the stanford law alliance. her children and her parents died in the fire. the first firefighters on the scene tried to reach the family on the second- floor but intense fight. he drove them back. the cause of the fire is still under investigation. >>daniel: a blanket of low cloud cover. it's theft widespread fog and clouds there it's not afternoon, partly cloudy conditions and smiled for jurors. if how mets take a closer look at those numbers. 56 expected in redwood city. 57 and concord and nt of syrian the wet weather is coming home the pacific northwest. behind have had half her hands meatloaf lybrand >> here is a live look at the golden gate bridge. traffic is improving. we were just told that things are looking better. meanwhile, we're taking a look at the san mateo bridge. hah will take a short story can see right back. >>grant: oakland pol

. >> it's only a recommendation from the national transportation safety board. they're the ones who investigate airline crashes, but tonight the board's chairman says too many of us are texting and driving and causing accidents and it's got to stop. so what about it? will we soon find ourselves faced about laws banning the use of cell phones in cars altogether? that's what the ntsb would like to see. >> cell phone use and texting, it's just so pervasive in our society. if people really are almost addicted to these devices and so just like drunk driving or smoking, it's going to take time for people to recognize the dangers and also how to curb those risky behaviors. so we need the laws. we need education and we need enforcement. reporter: maryland, virginia, 33 other states and the district of columbia already banned the use of hand-held devices behind the wheel. >> let's be clear. d.c. was one of the first jurisdictions to do this in the nation. at that time it seemed like a very radical act, but i think at this point there is substantial evidence to suggest tha

that was the unanimous recommendation today of the national transportation safety board. it said the ban should apply both to hands-free and hand-held phones and other portable devices. that would exceed restrictions already imposed in many states. we get more from deborah hersman, head of the ntsb. thanks for being with us. 35 states already have on the books some sort of ban against texting while driving. why do your recommendations to ban all portable electronic devices go further than that? >> unfortunately in ten years of investigations we've seen that distractions cause accidents that result in fatalities, lost lives and injuries. we've seen this in all modes of transportation but in particular on our nation's highways. >> sreenivasan: if the purpose is to decrease the amount of distracted driving couldn't the case be made that when i change music stations on my car radio, when i eat, when i talk to another passenger, i'm equally as distracted? >> well, for sure. there are a lot of distractions that are facing today's drivers but one of the things that we know is tha