The National Transportation Safety Board

The National Transportation Safety Board Tuesday called for a nationwide ban on the use of cell phones and text messaging devices while driving. The recommendation is the most far-reaching yet by the NTSB, which in the past 10 years has increasingly sought to limit the use of portable electronic devices. If adopted by states, the recommendation would outlaw nonemergency phone calls and texting by operators of every vehicle on the road. It would not apply to hands-free devices, or to passengers.