Banning handheld cell phones in school zones have become popular new laws across North Texas. Just last week, Rowlett became the seventh community to adopt the ban.

However, research has shown laws banning handheld cell phones have no effect.

"It's kind of like painting a crosswalk across the interstate," said Russ Rader, with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. "The pedestrians are still going to have a problem."

While every time someone gets behind the wheel of a car there is a risk they could get into an accident, talking on a cell phone shows their chances go up 400 percent, according to the institute's research. But, that same research revealed that number doesn't change whether one is using an earpiece or a handheld phone.

"[A] hands-free phone carries the same risk," Rader said.

That didn't stop local communities - including Dallas, Irving, Duncanville, Highland Park, University Park, Highland Village and Flower Mound - from passing bans and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars posting new signs.

Council member Al Filodoro championed the Flower Mound hand-held ban.

"We believe that corrective legislation could do a very good job of saving a life," he said. "We didn't want to wait until we had a situation."

Radar said he questions that.

"Banning handheld cell phones has a big effect on making people feel good about passing a law," Radar said. "Whether it's going to increase safety on the roads is doubtful."

Dallas Area Rapid Transit allowed News 8 to use a driving simulator to help prove the point. Nicole Richter, of University of Park, volunteered to drive as an instructor helped her navigate the streets. She did fine.

But what happens after she picks up the phone and all the other conditions are the same?

"It was a little tough," she said. "... [I was] trying to think about my conversation, trying to think about driving and think about where I was going. I don't think I was doing any three of them very well."

"Her attention was more on the phone conversation than it was on her driving," said DART driving instructor Robert Scherer.

Scherer instinctively knew what the research shows, the phone is not the problem.

"When you're driving and you're talking on your cell phone, your mind is not on our driving," he said. "It's on your conversation."

But Filodoro said he still stands behind the ban.

"I believe what we're doing is creating a public awareness on the issues of talking on a cell phone," he said.

Rader said he sees it differently.

"If we really wanted to tackle this problem, we would ban all cell phone use behind the wheel," he said.

Most agree that's a solution that would really save lives, but it's one most people don't seem ready to put into action.

"I think people like their cell phones too much and like talking in the car too much to where I see that would be a viable option," Richter said.

"In time we'll see legislation change," Filodoro said. "As we have perception, it's not time yet for legislation like that. Just like it wasn't time for seat belt legislation until society decided, 'Yes, we want that.'"

E-mail dschechter@wfaa.com