Motorcoach companies that have established rules for drivers use of cell phones may want to think about refining those rules to cover text messaging.

Legislators in at least three states are targeting text messaging to keep drivers thumbs on the steering wheel and off the tiny keypads of their cell phones or wireless communication devices in the latest crackdown on distracted driving.

Text-messaging bills in Arizona, Connecticut and Washington state are the latest attempts by state legislatures to block the increasing distractions of electronic technology in vehicles, from the ubiquitous cell phone, to DVD players, BlackBerries and GPS systems.

Four states, plus the District of Columbia, currently outlaw hand-held cell phone use by drivers - a de facto ban on text messaging.

Young or inexperienced drivers are forbidden to use cell phones - even those with hands-free speakers or earphones - in 13 states. And 37 states prohibit TV screens from being visible to the driver.

Distracted driving was to blame in 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes last year, according to a study released by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.

The most common driving distraction is cell phones, with most cell phone users admitting to researchers they talk while they steer.

At the same time, text messages typed on cell phones or other wireless gadgets also are rapidly growing in popularity. The latest studies show that text messaging is considerably more popular among teens and young adults than other age groups.

For example, Nationwide Mutual Insurance reported in January that 37 percent of "Generation Y" drivers teenagers and adults in their 20s text or instant message while driving, compared to 17 percent of drivers in their 30s and early 40s (Generation X-ers), and 2 percent of Baby Boomers in their 50s and 60s.

That would suggest the issue of text messaging by drivers of commercial vehicles probably isnt a significant problem yet.

However, because of the pronounced tendency of young people to become older, the issue certainly will begin finding its way into the driver seats of buses and coaches.

Arizona Rep. Steve Farley, sponsor of a text-ban bill, said he considers text messaging even more of a safety problem than talking on a cell phone because it requires not just ears but eyes. "There is no way you can keep your eyes and attention on the road AND the text you are writing or reading," Farley said in an e-mail exchange.

His bill would fine drivers $50 for texting, bumped up to $200 if the activity were found to contribute to an accident. Arizona currently bans school bus drivers from using a cell phone, except in emergencies, but not other drivers.

Connecticut Rep. Lawrence Miller plans to propose a text-messaging ban because it takes a drivers hand off the wheel. "You have to hold it (the device) in place with one hand and try to spell out your message with the keyboard. I dont know how they do it," he says. His bill would slap drivers with a $500 fine for text messaging.

In Washington state, Rep. Joyce McDonald said she proposed her bill after a BlackBerry user caused a five-car pileup on a state highway and State Patrol officers cited cell phones in cars as an increasing problem. Her bill would make text messaging a traffic offense, which normally carries a $111 fine.

Washington state also is one of 12 states weighing a plan to join California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Washington, D.C., in outlawing drivers from chatting on hand-held cell phones. The Washington Senate has approved the ban, but a similar measure has consistently failed in the House.

Instead of prohibiting bad driving habits one by one, some states are fashioning broader prohibitions on distracted driving. Bills pending in Maryland, Texas and Vermont would ban such practices as driving and talking on hand-held cell phones, reading, putting on makeup or playing a musical instrument. A new law in Utah creates a "careless driving" offense for cases in which a driver commits a traffic violation while distracted, including while holding a cell phone.

Colorado has joined 27 other states in tracking accidents that were due to cell phones, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. The measure came after a Denver teen struck and killed a 63-year old cyclist while distracted by a text message.

A study by the Indiana State Police found that since 2003 cell phones were cited as the primary cause of more than 2,000 accidents. And thats just from drivers who admitted it.

Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois and Oregon are considering increased penalties for drivers who cause accidents because of cell phones. One New York senator even aims to ban pedestrians and bicycle riders from using electronic devices while crossing streets.

Four states this year have bills pending that would make cell phones off-limits to all drivers, not just teenagers. "Every year we see a couple states that have these total prohibition type of bills," said Matt Sundeen, transportation analyst for the National Conference of State Legislatures. "Generally they dont make it very far."

Cell phone use - hands-free or not - repeatedly has been shown to impair a drivers abilities. A 2006 University of Utah study determined that drivers using cell phones were 18 percent slower in hitting the brakes. The study also found that accessories to let drivers talk without holding a cell phone had no effect on reducing impairment.