Poll: NC adults favor cell phone ban for drivers

RALEIGH — An Elon University poll finds that most North Carolina adults support a law banning the use of cell phones while driving.

Nearly 66 percent of respondents to the poll released Monday said talking on a cell phone while behind the wheel should be illegal, except in the case of emergencies. More than half of the respondents who own a cell phone also acknowledged they make calls while driving.

Lawmakers are considering a ban on using hand-held cell phones while driving, but the proposal was watered down with weak punishments during an early committee hearing on the subject.

The Elon poll surveyed 758 North Carolina residents Sunday through Thursday. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.

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