Cell phone law makes sense.(using cell phones while driving)(Brief Article)

It's time to turn up the volume on this message: Cell phones and driving do not mix.

New York deserves praise for being the first state to affirm that message. A bill that outlaws use of handheld phones while driving takes effect Nov. 1. Headsets and speakerphones are allowed.

Some 41 other states have introduced cell-phone legislation, but so far none has passed it. One reason is that wireless manufacturers and providers have lobbied hard against such bills. Indeed, New York's legislation might not have enjoyed as smooth a ride as it did had Verizon Wireless not stepped out of line from other telephone companies and supported the ban.

Critics of …