A safety group is advocating a total ban on cell phone use while driving.

The National Safety Council says the practice is clearly dangerous and leads to fatalities.

The group's president likens talking on cell phones to drunken driving. She says cell phone use increases the risk of a crash fourfold, and that hands-free cell phones are just as risky as hand held phones.

The council examined more than 50 scientific studies before reaching its decision. One is a study by the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis. It estimates 6 percent of vehicle crashes causing about 2,600 deaths and 12,000 serious injuries a year are attributable to cell phone use.

No state currently bans all cell phone use while driving. Six states -- California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Utah and Washington --and the District of Columbia ban the use of hand-held cell phones behind the wheel.