LANSING – Everybody knows that alcohol and driving is a deadly combination, but is texting and driving equally dangerous?

The answer may have been yes for five teens from Fairport, N.Y., this summer.

Texting was believed to be a factor in the crash that killed them five days after graduating from high school. Their vehicle burst into flames after swerving into an oncoming tractor-trailer, as friends watched from a trailing vehicle.

The driver was believed to be sending a text message when she lost control, authorities say.

Such tragedies might be avoided if a bill proposed by Sen. Buzz Thomas, D-Detroit, becomes law.

The proposal would ban drivers from using cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), electronic games and other electronic device that are unrelated to the operation of the vehicle.

Exceptions would be made for emergency personnel and for drivers reporting accidents, crimes, medical emergencies and situations where they believe their personal safety is in jeopardy.

“There is no question that texting while driving is one of the most dangerous things you can do while driving,” Thomas said. “There is no need to text or play games while driving, especially when it endangers the life of every other driver on the road.”

The penalty for offenders would be a $100 fine. However, police could ticket drivers only if they were being pulled over for another violation such as speeding.

Officials from State Police posts in Cadillac, Alpena, Gladwin and Manistee said they were unaware of any instances of dangerous driving due to text messaging in their areas.

Texting is just part of the growing problem of distracted driving. In some states, drivers or their companies are held responsible for accidents that occur while a cell phone or other electronic device was in use.

For example, investment firm Smith Barney was held liable for the actions of an employee who was making a sales call when he hit and killed a motorcyclist in Pennsylvania. Smith Barney settled the lawsuit for $500,000.

An Arkansas lumber company paid $16.2 million to a 78-year-old woman who was struck and disabled by an employee who was using a cell phone to make a sales call.

In addition, an Alaska man was charged with, but acquitted of second-degree murder after killing two occupants of another vehicle in 2004. The defendant swerved into oncoming traffic while allegedly adjusting his DVD player.

As the number of cell phone users grows, so does the number of people who talk and drive, according to a report by Matt Sundeen, a transportation analyst for the National Conference of State Legislators.

The report cited a 2007 survey by Nationwide Insurance, which estimated that 73 percent of drivers use cell phones while driving.

The State Office of Highway and Safety Planning (OHSP) reported that cell phones were a factor in 1,022 crashes in the state in 2005.

“The data collected is controversial,” Sundeen said, because many times there is no “physical indicator” that a cell phone was in use at the time of the accident, and witness accounts must be relied on.

Greg Bange, chair of the Michigan Resource Center for Health and Safety, said the organization supports the legislative proposal.

Bange said action needs to be taken to discourage distracted driving, but predicted that it would be “very difficult to enforce that type of legislation.”

As technology advances there are more things people can do with phones and PDAs, said Bange. “It is only going to become more of a distraction.”

Bange said that educating youths about the dangers of distracted driving is important, but legislation would be even more effective. Using seat belts as an example, Bange pointed out that more lives are saved because of mandatory laws then simply educating people about seat belt use.

Nikki Klemmer, media relations and outreach coordinator for the OHSP, said that the agency does not take positions on legislation, but that cell-phone use is a main distraction among drivers.

Washington became the first state to ban texting and driving earlier this year. Similiar legislation is pending in New York and New Jersey.

In addition, California, Conneticut, New York, New Jersey, Washington and the District of Columbia all ban the use of hand-held phones while driving.

The bill is pending in the Senate Energy Policy and Public Utilities Committee.