When the National Safety Council in January called for a nationwide ban on the use of cell phones — both hand-held and hands-free — and text message devices while driving, it turned up the heat on an issue that has been simmering for some time: Are the convenience and time-savings of communicating on the road worth the risks they pose to life and limb?Contractors’ reactions to such a ban range from acceptance (if not support) to sputtering in exasperation at what they see as just one more attempt to stick the government’s nose where it doesn’t belong.Currently, no state bans
