WINNIPEG, (July 19, 2005) — Manitobans who chat on their phone while behind the wheel may soon be forced to hang up. That’s because the provincial government is considering banning the use of cellphones while driving.

Transportation Minister Ron Lemieux said government officials are studying the experiences of other jurisdictions with cellphone bans, Canadian Press reports.

Lemieux insisted several factors need to be considered before the province decided if it would act, including whether a ban would be effective in reducing collisions and how it would be enforced.

He also said officials are reviewing the possibility of either a full cellphone ban or partial ban, allowing for hands-free use, as is the case in Newfoundland — the only Canadian jurisdiction with a cellphone restrictions.

Tory justice critic Kelvin Goertzen said he would like a cellphone-accident study commissioned specifically for Manitoba. Until then, it’s difficult to say whether a wider-ranging ban would make roadways safer, he told CP.

Brian Smiley, spokesman for Manitoba Public Insurance, said the public insurer doesn’t keep statistics on the number of accidents caused by cellphone use.

According to a study commissioned by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and published in the British Medical Journal, drivers talking on cell phones are four-times more likely to be involved in a road accident.

The study, which was based on cell phone billing records of 744 drivers and interviews with crash victims, also found that there was virtually no difference in the safety level between hand-held and hands-free cellphones.

— with files from CP