Drivers who commit a traffic violation while talking on a cell phone may face a $25 fine or an extra point on their record under a bill being discussed today by the Michigan House Transportation Committee.

"There seems to be a belief out there in the minds of many that people should not be driving cars while they"re operating cell phones," said House Majority Floor Leader Bruce Patterson (R-Canton), who sponsored the bill.

Patterson called vehicles "three to four thousand-pound weapons if not used correctly."

Part of the bill commissions a two-year study by the secretary of state to determine the effect of cell phones on driving.

A 1997 study by the New England Journal of Medicine determined the risk of collision is four times as likely for a driver talking on a cell phone than for a driver who is not but maintained that a causal relationship was not proven.

Members of the communications industry are prepared to fight the measure.

Cell phones are only "part of a bigger issue distracted driving," said Jeremy Pemble, a spokesman for AT&T Wireless, who is planning on testifying against the bill at today"s meeting.

"We recognize, obviously, that a driver"s first priority must be driving period," Pemble said.

The legislators "need to take a look at all the distractions that are out there."

Pemble pointed to a recent study performed by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety that found talking on phones accounts for only 2 percent of all accidents in which the driver was distracted.

According to the study, which is still in its preliminary phase, driver distraction is a factor in about half of the six million traffic accidents each year in the United States. The study analyzed 26,145 accidents nationwide between 1995 and 1998.

Of the nine driving distractions enumerated by the study, cell phones ranked sixth while distractions outside the car led the pack, causing 19.7 percent of accidents where a distraction is involved.

"There"s a lot of issues that are going to be raised," said Rep. Jud Gilbert (R-Algonac), who chairs the transportation committee. "Some people have really raised the question: Where do we draw the line?"

Gilbert said he believes that cell phones do affect driving.

"I don"t think I"m as good a driver when I"m on my cell phone," he said.

But Gilbert said he recognizes the fact that other distractions also impede driving and plans to have a discussion on the issue.

"I have no plans to vote on this bill anytime in the near future," he said.

Patterson is also looking for a full discussion on driving distractions. He said he"s seen men shaving and women putting on make-up while driving.

"I have a guy testifying tomorrow who said he saw a woman putting on panty-hose," he said.

Patterson said he hopes a conclusive study will either lead to passing his bill or quelling fears about cell phone use.

"We should get all the cards," he said. "If we don"t study the issue in an open, forthright fashion, people will continue to have this perception."

If Pemble has it his way, a vote will never come. "It"s better to educate over legislate on this issue," he said.

And Pemble said education is a goal of AT&T Wireless. The company passes out pamphlets to its customers advising customers to memorize the keypad, dial numbers when the car is not moving and avoid engaging in stressful or emotional conversations while driving among others.

The pamphlet also recommends using a hands-free device, although Pemble admits this may not always account for safe driving.

"If there is a distracting part of the cell phone, it is the conversation," he said. "Besides, they could be using their hands to eat a Big Mac or read the newspaper."

The New England Journal of Medicine study found that hands-free devices offer no significant safety advantage.

But the topic of driver distraction becomes increasingly important as car manufacturers are implementing sophisticated computer systems into vehicles. Soon drivers will be able to access e-mail from their dashboard.

"The bigger issue is distracted driving," Pemble said. The Legislature "should not be focusing on one device."

Discussion of the bill comes while the Senate Transportation and Tourism Committee is looking at a bill to propose adding a point on the record of drivers caught without a seat belt. Michigan legislators passed a bill last year allowing police to pull over and ticket drivers if they saw that drivers or front-seat passengers were riding without a seat belt.